The law firm Carlos Barroso & Associados is preparing a legal action against EMEL that is expected to be filed in administrative courts during the month of September. The action targets alleged irregularities in parking enforcement, the handling of defenses presented by drivers, and the collection of cases considered time-barred. If the courts rule in favor of the arguments presented, the decision could open the way to the return of fines and other amounts paid by drivers in recent years.
The firm currently handles more than a thousand cases related to traffic violations resulting from EMEL enforcement, including situations involving clamped or towed vehicles. One of the main issues in dispute concerns enforcement in locations or periods not covered by paid parking management, such as vehicles parked in prohibited areas outside payment hours. EMEL claims it has competencies delegated by the Lisbon City Council to enforce parking throughout the municipality, citing Decree-Law No. 44/2005 and Decree-Law No. 107/2018.
Another aspect of the challenge relates to drivers' right to defense, who have 15 working days to present a defense after notification. The firm alleges that in some cases, there may not have been adequate procedural instruction before the decisions. EMEL responds that it is not the company that decides the final outcome of cases, as that competence lies with the Lisbon City Council for minor parking violations or with the National Road Safety Authority in other situations.
The company's figures reveal the scale of the universe under analysis: between 2020 and 2024, more than 1.13 million traffic violation notices were issued, and between 2020 and 2025, fine payments amounted to approximately 37.7 million euros. EMEL denies having acted illegally and states it will respect any court decision, emphasizing that there is currently no recognition of irregularities in the procedures adopted.
