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Obligated Entities

Who is covered by the new Interest Representation Framework

Public Entities Covered (Article 3)

Law no. 5-A/2026 applies to a vast set of public entities before which interest representation is exercised. Article 3 identifies eight categories of public entities subject to transparency obligations, quarterly disclosure of meetings and implementation of the legislative footprint mechanism.

🏛️

Office of the President

Including the Civil and Military Houses and the Presidential Office.

📜

Parliament

Including bodies, services, parliamentary committees and support offices to Parliament members, Parliamentary Groups, independent Deputy representatives and unaffiliated Deputies.

⚙️

Government

Including the offices of its members.

🗳️

Autonomous Region Governments

Including the offices of its members.

🌍

Republic Representatives for Autonomous Regions

Including their respective offices.

🏢

Administration Bodies and Services

Direct and indirect State administration.

🏦

Bank of Portugal and Independent Authorities

Bank of Portugal, independent administrative entities and regulatory bodies.

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Regional, Local and Autonomous Administration

Including their respective offices, inter-municipal entities and local authorities.

Private Entities Subject to Registration (Article 5)

All entities that carry out, on their own behalf or on behalf of third parties, activities of legitimate interest representation before the public entities identified above are obliged to register in the RTRI.

  • Professional Consultants and Consulting Companies — in public affairs and lobbying
  • Business and Commercial Associations — that promote members' interests before public entities
  • Professional Associations and Trade Unions — that exercise interest representation activities
  • Non-Governmental Organizations — that contact public entities to influence policies
  • Think Tanks and Academic Institutions — research centers with advocacy activities
  • Representative Organizations of Churches and Religious Communities — that exercise interest representation activities
  • Other Entities — that carry out interest representation activities before public entities

Regime Exclusions (Article 4)

The Interest Representation Framework does not apply to certain activities, even if they represent interests before public entities. The following activities are expressly excluded:

Excluded Activities

  • Acts performed by lawyers and solicitors in the exercise of their professional mandate
  • Exercise of the constitutional right of petition (petitions presented by citizens and organizations)
  • Complaints and denunciations presented by citizens individually
  • Activities of social partners within social dialogue and collective bargaining

These exclusions reflect recognition of constitutional rights and the special social dialogue regime already established in law. Professional activity continues to be protected by professional confidentiality, and the right of petition maintains its fundamental character.

Self-Diagnostic Tool

Use this interactive tool to preliminarily identify whether your organization is covered by the framework. Answer the questions based on your current activity reality.

Answer the following questions to understand whether your organization is subject to the obligations of Law no. 5-A/2026:
Question 1 of 5
Does your organization contact public entities with the objective of influencing policies, legislation or public decisions?
Question 2 of 5
Are these contacts conducted on your own behalf or on behalf of third parties?
Question 3 of 5
Is your organization one of the excluded entities (lawyers in professional practice, social partners in collective bargaining, citizens in individual petitions)?
Question 4 of 5
Does your organization have regular contacts with political office holders or senior public officials?
Question 5 of 5
Does your organization provide consulting services in interest representation, public affairs or government relations?

Confirm Your Classification with a Specialist

The preliminary self-diagnostic assessment does not replace a complete legal analysis. Request a personalized evaluation of your regulatory framework.

Contact Specialist