Thanks to you that have signed and given us and Lagos your support. Without you we would not have been able to assist the local businesses to exert the pressure that we are exerting on the local Lagos council.

Feedback. Yesterday about 400 people attended the public participation meeting set-up by the council for 9h00pm. The venue selected and made available by the council only had capacity for +- 120 people.

The mayor tried to break up the meeting into small meetings, but, UNITY of Lagos businesses was an amazing thing to see.

People that would cross the street before they would talk to each other, stood together. Your support has brought major unity and community cohesiveness to a town that was previously divided.

With the exception of about 40/50 (of which about 10/15 where local enforcement and some journalists) everybody else left the meeting as one voice and forced the mayor to move the meeting to a bigger venue today at 9h00 pm in the Lagos Cultural Centre. (Near Igreja de Santo Antonio/ The Golden Church of Saint Antonio)

Thanks again for all your amazing support. Will keep you posted on what happens tonight.
Have a great day
On behalf of ASMAA and Lagos

Good day!

We need your input on our proposed new code of good practice for nightlife establishments in the Algarve which we have just released in a draft form.

We have listened to all our members, we chated to the Lagos council and other councils as well, we now would love your opinion on our proposal to make your nightlife experience in the Algarve a safe one.

So drop me an e-mail with your feedback, comments, suggestions, etc. laurinda.seabra@asmaa-algarve.org

We are in the last few steps of this 3-month long journey. You have been there with us ... and we thank you.

Kind regards

Laurinda Seabra
laurinda.seabra@asmaa-algarve.org

Good day

We need your input on our proposed new code of good practice for nightlife establishments in the Algarve which we have just released in a draft form.

here's the link to the Proposed Code
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/148608363/Proposed-Code-of-Good-Practice-for-Nightlife-Establishments-in-the-Algarve

you can comment on our protest page as well:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/312919775492049/

We have listened to all our members, we chated to the Lagos council and other councils as well, we now would love your opinion on our proposal to make your nightlife experience in the Algarve a safe one.

So drop me an e-mail with your feedback, comments, suggestions, etc. laurinda.seabra@asmaa-algarve.org

We are in the last few steps of this 3-month long journey. You have been there with us ... and we thank you.

Kind regards

Laurinda Seabra
laurinda.seabra@asmaa-algarve.org

YOU DID IT! LAGOS BUSINESS SECTOR SAVED!

Lagos, 27 March 2013. ASMAA – the Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association announced today that the three-month campaign against the proposed changes to Lagos trading hours by the local municipality, which would have had a devastating impact on the local economy, has been a success.

The campaign which was started by ASMAA on the 16 December 2012 mobilised more than 4000 visitors, residents and local businesses together with support from Tourism of Portugal, Tourism of Algarve, Transparency International, the MPT and CDS political parties, MP Artur Rego, the local English media - Algarve Daily News, Algarve 123, Tomorrow Newsletter, Portugal News, The Algarve Resident as well as the Portuguese media.

What were our goals?

• A fair and transparent process with active participation of affected stakeholders and their representative bodies.
• Elimination of the anti-competitive 5th business category.
• At least the retention of trading hours as per previous by-laws.
• Elimination of the controversial Internet-based noise monitoring system, because establishments are already governed by national laws.
• Creation of a long-term stakeholder’s forum.

What was achieved?

ASMAA with the support of all parties achieved all its goals and for the first time in the history of Lagos, the local community voiced their views in an organised manner and in force.

The local council engaged with local businesses and other interested parties in three open meetings which saw more than 600 people attending them, an unprecedented fact.

After the open meetings, another two meetings were conducted with representatives of stakeholders, and representatives were given an opportunity to place their concerns, suggestions and recommendations, all of which were taken into account.

The public consultation process saw an unprecedented submission of more than 1000 comments voicing the views of stakeholders.

As a result of the campaign the following describes a snap-shot of what the new legislation will look like once it get passed into law in a municipal assembly meeting scheduled for the 29 April 2013.

• Four categories of businesses remain. The fifth category was eliminated.
• Trading hours – from 6h00 am until 2h00 am - Cafes, Bars, Restaurants, Snack-bars, Takeaways, etc and from 10h00am until 4h00am – Nightclubs, Discos, etc. Those hours can be extended by another 2h00 subject to specific conditions being met.
• All establishments with esplanades during 1 April until 30 September can be open until 1h00am, this may be extended until 2h00am on request.
• Closing time tolerance of up to 30 minutes may be granted by the municipality subject to tolerance conditions being met.
• Noise monitoring and recording systems need to be installed in accordance with national legislation. Records need to be maintained for 12 months. And for the establishments that currently do not have them, there is a 12-month window for compliance.
• Within 90 days of the passing of the proposed new by-laws being enacted, the municipality will create a Municipal Commission (Stakeholders Forum) representative of all socio and economic interests in the council region. This commission will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the latest proposed by-laws, as well as provide opinions and recommendations. The commission will also be directly involved in the creation of a Code of Good Practice and Operational Manual for nightlife establishments, namely bars, clubs and restaurants.

After a rocky start, and many rocks in the way, ASMAA can state that we welcome the professional, transparent and effective manner in which the Lagos Municipality eventually handled and managed the process and ASMAA is happy with its outcome.

Well done Lagos!

This campaign has been a massive step in showing that a participative, transparent and fair democratic process is the only effective way forward not only for Lagos but for Portugal.

ASMAA Management Team