67

Regionalisation on mainland Portugal was rejected by the electorate in the referendum of 1998. Consequently the process of regionalisation has taken place without any regional administrative units having been created, so to speak. Powers over spatial planning, infrastructure and development have been transferred to regional development commissions, which are decentralised central government agencies in five administrative regions. Relatively large intercommunal structures with powers in the same areas have also been set up. However, they are not local authorities, even in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto. Legislation concerning them has been revised several times in recent years. Ultimately Portugal is still a relatively centralised state. The decentralisation process could be pursued through the transfer of powers to the intercommunal structures.