The Portuguese Government considers that the management of the waters of the Tagus that Spain carried out during the last hydrological year "is not acceptable" and therefore will propose that the control mechanisms be increased.

This was stated by the Portuguese Minister of Environment and Climate Action, João Matos Fernandes, in statements released today by the Public newspaper, in which he recalled that Spain made large water discharges last September to comply with the requirements of the Albufeira Convention.

"Portugal has already clearly referred to Spain that will strengthen its attitude at the next meeting of the Commission for the Application of the Albufeira Convention and will propose the increase of control mechanisms that will prevent situations of this nature in the future," he said.

The Albufeira Agreement, signed in 1998, establishes the management of the Miño, Limia, Duero, Tajo and Guadiana transboundary rivers.

The agreement includes the volume of water from shared rivers that Spain is obliged to send to Portugal, which in the case of the Tagus amounts to 2,700 cubic hectometers per year.

Last September, the last month of the 2018/2019 hydrological year, Spain discharged larger amounts of water than usual to be able to meet that figure, which caused "dramatic" consequences at an environmental and economic level, according to the Portuguese minister.

In statements also on Sunday to the TSF station, Matos Fernandes considered that it would be pointless to ask for the Albufeira Convention to be revised.

"To ask for the revision of the Albufeira Convention is, using popular language, to go for wool and to come back in a row," said the minister, who considered that who would have more interest in reviewing the agreement would be Spain to reduce the volumes of water that has to send to Portugal.

Matos Fernandes considered "impossible" that Portugal manages to have more water from Spain throughout the year, so it is "of the greatest importance" to receive it more regularly.