The PSD-Madeira parliamentary group is urging changes to the law so that residents of Madeira can buy goods and services online on terms similar to those available on mainland Portugal. The initiative comes after a meeting between PSD deputy Bruno Melim and the President of the Portuguese Competition Authority, where concerns were raised about national and European rules that the party says do not fit the reality of Portugal’s autonomous island regions. Bruno Melim said hearings in the Parliamentary Committee on the Economy exposed serious gaps in the current framework, especially in enforcement, sanctions and action against companies that refuse to deliver to Madeira even when they can. He argued that some firms find it cheaper to reject orders for Madeira than to obey the law, which in his view shows that penalties are too weak to stop unjustified geographical barriers. He also criticised online platforms that vary products, prices or buying conditions according to a customer’s postcode, describing the practice as discrimination that conflicts with the European Single Market and the free movement of goods, services and people. At the start of the next parliamentary session, PSD-Madeira plans to present a proposal to the Assembly of the Republic to strengthen enforcement powers, raise penalties and stop retailers from treating customers differently simply because they live in an autonomous region. The issue has long frustrated residents of Madeira and the Azores, who continue to report delivery refusals, high shipping charges and restricted access to products despite EU rules against unjustified geo-blocking.
