This decree-law creates the Museums and Monuments of Portugal (Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, Entidade Pública Empresarial [E. P. E.]) and approves its Statutes. Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, E. P. E., replaces the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage in terms of its mission, remit, assets and human resources in the following areas:
– Management of national museums, monuments and palaces;
– Implementation of the national museological policy; and
– Protection, conservation and restoration, research, valorisation and communication of national collections and movable cultural heritage.
It is a legal person governed by public law of a corporate nature, endowed with administrative, financial and patrimonial autonomy. It is subject to the joint supervision of the members of the government responsible for finance and culture.
In addition to approving the Statutes of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, E. P. E. (Annex I), the statute contains the list of National Museums, Monuments and Palaces under the management of the organisation (Annex II) and the list of properties assigned to the organisation (Annex III).
The new management model for museums, monuments and palaces aims to introduce a business logic into museum management, more orientated towards the public, with a greater capacity for innovation and response to current challenges and with a greater capacity to project national collections and heritage in the country and internationally.
