Portugal: government allows large supermarkets to open on Sunday, putting an end to an exception to trade regulations

Opening. The Council of Portuguese Ministers decided to terminate the exception for opening hours of large supermarkets (200m2). The establishments concerned may open from 6am to midnight, like the other days of the week. A total of 180 large supermarkets are affected, and 77 of these are food markets. In its decree-law, the government chose a decentralized management of the issue, putting town councils in charge of allowing it or not, and of the time frames. Thus, the towns will be able to act “in accordance with safety, the protection of citizens’ quality of life or the defense of some professional activities,” the text reads. So far, the law allowed 2,500 medium and large supermarkets to open every day of the week, and only from 8am to 1pm for large supermarkets.
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tion of citizens’ quality of life or the defense of some professional activities,” the text reads. So far, the law allowed 2,500 medium and large supermarkets to open every day of the week, and only from 8am to 1pm for large supermarkets.

Employers are surprised. This decree-law caught the Confederation of Portuguese Trade and Services (CCP), about to open talks with the social partners on working time, by surprise. In a press release, it deplored the “government’s lack of transparency on such a

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