The description, composition and responsibilities of the Superior Council for National Defense are defined by the Law of National Defense and the Armed Forces (Law Nr. 29/82, of December 11).
 

DESCRIPTION

The Superior Council for National Defense is the specific organization to be consulted on matters relating to national defense and the organization, functioning and discipline of the Armed Forces. In addition it is also endowed with administrative responsibilities defined by law.

PRESIDENCY AND COMPOSITION

The Superior Council for National Defense is presided over by the President of the Republic, who enjoys a casting vote.

The Superior Council for National Defense, as a consultative body, has the following composition:

(1) Prime-Minister;

(2) Vice-Prime-Minister, if any;

(3) Ministers responsible for national defense, foreign affairs, internal security, finance, planning, industry and energy, and transport and communication;

(4) Two Parliamentary deputies,elected by that body for a term corresponding to the duration of the legislature;

(5) General Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and Chiefs of Staff of the branches of the Armed Forces;

(6) Ministers of the Republic and Presidents of the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira.

The composition of the Superior Council for National Defense, as an administrative organization, includes the members referred to in (1), (2), (3) and (5) of the previous section.

The President of the Republic, on his own initiative or at the request of the Prime Minister, can invite any entities to participate, without the right to vote, in certain meetings of the Council.

The Council regularly meets every two months and on an extraordinary basis whenever the President of the Republic convokes such a meeting, on his own initiative or at the request of the Prime Minister.

The Superior Council for National Defense has as its secretary a general official or a civil servant of director-general level or equivalent, nominated by the President of the Republic based on a proposal by the Government.
 
 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE

As a part of its consultative responsibilities, the Superior Council for National Defense must produce reports on the following subjects:

(1) National defense policy;

(2) Major conceptual framework for national defense strategy;

(3) Legislation related to the organization of national defense and the definition of the duties stemming from it, as well as the general basis for organization, functions and discipline of the Armed Forces, and employment conditions in the Armed Forces under both normal and emergency situations.

(4) Approval of international conventions of a military nature;

(5) Organization of civil protection, assistance to people and the safeguarding of public and private assets, in case of war;

(6) Military programming laws;

(7) Basic defense infrastructure;

(8) Declaration of war and peace-making;

(9) Other matters related to national defense or the Armed Forces that are presented by the President of the Republic or any of the Armed Forces? members.

In exercising its administrative functions, the responsibilities of the Superior Council for National Defense include:
 

(1) Commenting on the strategic concept of national defense;

(2) Confirming the concept of military strategy and defining the missions of the Armed Forces and the systems needed to complete them, based on proposals from the Ministry of National Defense;

(3) Defining the measures to be taken in case of alert, mobilization and war;

(4) Guiding the execution of mobilization, general or partial;

(5) Confirming the promotions to general official or general officials, decided by the Council of Chiefs of Staff;

(6) Approve the proposals for nominating and dismissing general officials, to be submitted to the President of the Republic, referent to the following positions:
 

• President of the Supreme Military Court
• Chief Commanders;
• Commanders or military representatives to organizations of any alliance of which Portugal is a part, as well as naval, brigade or division commanders who carry out missions in that context.

 
(7) Confirm the nomination and the dismissal of officials in the following positions:
 
• Vice-Chiefs of the Command of the branches of the Armed Forces;

• Naval Commander;

• Operational Commander of Ground Forces;

• Operational Commander of the Air Force.

(8) Exercise, in time of war, the following functions:
 

• Define and activate the theaters and zones of operation;

• Approve the letters of command destined for the chief commanders;

• Approve the general orientation of military operations;

• Approve war plans;

• Study and adopt or propose appropriate measures to satisfy the needs of the Armed Forces and the nation.

MEMBERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY PART OF THE SUPERIOR COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE
 

Prime-Minister
- Eng. José Sócrates

Minister of State and Internal Affairs
- Dr. António Costa

Minister of State and Foreign Affairs
- Prof. Dr. Freitas do Amaral

Minister of State and Finance
- Prof. Dr. Fernando Teixeira dos Santos

Minister National Defense
- Dr. Luís Amado

Minister of Economie and Inovation
- Prof. Dr. Manuel Pinho

Minister for Public Works, Transports and Communications
- Engº Mário Lino

Minister of the Republic for Madeira
- Juíz Conselheiro Monteiro Diniz

Minister of the Republic for Azores
- Juíz Conselheiro Alvaro José Brilhante Laborinho Lúcio

Chief of the General Command of the Armed Forces
- Almirante Mendes Cabeçadas

President of the Regional Government of Madeira
- Dr. Alberto João Jardim

President of the Regional Government of the Azores
- Sr. Carlos César

Chief of the General Command of the Navy
- Almirante Francisco António Torres Vidal Abreu

Chief of the General Command of the Army
- General Valença Pinto

Chief of the General Command of the Air Force
- General Taveira Martins

Deputies elected by Parliament
- Maj António Alves Marques Júnior
- Dr. Manuel Filipe Correia de Jesus

Note

In addition, also present at the meetings of the Superior Council for National Defense, under the terms of Nr. 5 of Article 46 of Law Nr. 29/82, of December 11, the Head of the Casa Militar, General José Manuel Santos de Faria Leal.

The Secretary of the Superior Council for National Defense is, at present, General João Goulão de Melo.