Between Portugal’s entry into the European Union in 1986, and 2011, the country has received approximately €81bn in EU funding, according to a study released today.
The EU funds in turn led to overall internal and external investment topping €156bn – twice the troika’s bailout to Portugal. This investment, explains Diário de Notícias, has also aggravated the country's debt.
But the paper also recognises that EU money has developed the country and lists some of the major investments, such as –
the 9,468 kilometers of new road; 2,353 kilometers of rail lines; the Vasco da Gama Bridge; five new football stadiums; construction of nine hospitals, 662 schools and 248 wastewater treatment centres; vocational training for more than 1 million young people, and the introduction of a User Card for National Health Service.
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