José Manuel Ferreira Fernandes (born 26 July 1967) is a Portuguese politician of the Social Democratic Party. He has been Minister of Agriculture since 2024 and Minister of the Sea since 2025, in the government led by Luís Montenegro.
Previously, Fernandes was a Member of the European Parliament between 2009 and 2024.His MEP profile Earlier in his career, he was Mayor of Vila Verde in northern Portugal (1997–2009).Sofia Diogo Mateus (11 January 2021), Portuguese people to know in the Brussels Bubble Politico Europe.
Political career Early beginnings Fernandes served as president of JSD - Social Democratic Youth of Vila Verde (1992-1993) and as leader of the Braga district political committee of JSD (1994-1996).
Member of the European Parliament, 2009–2024 In parliament, Fernandes was a member of the Committee on Budgets. He was also his parliamentary group's coordinator on the committee.Ryan Heath, Maïa de La Baume, Harry Cooper and David M. Herszenhorn (1 November 2016), MEPs dig their heels in over Oettinger Politico Europe.Koert Debeuf (22 November 2019), The EU debate on its own resources EUobserver. In this capacity, he was the parliament's rapporteur on the 2012 and 2016 annual budgets as well as the European Fund for Strategic Investments. In 2020, he served as the Parliament's co-rapporteur (alongside Valérie Hayer) on a successful motion to assign new tax revenues to the budget of the European Union to repay its joint borrowing of 750 billion euros ($888 billion) for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.Jan Strupczewski (September 16, 2020), European Parliament votes for new taxes in EU to repay recovery borrowing Reuters.
In addition to his committee assignments, Fernandes was part of the parliament's delegations to Brazil, for relations with Mercosur and to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly.José Manuel Fernandes European Parliament. He had previously been a member of the delegations to China (2009–2014), to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (2014–2019) and for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union (2014–2019).José Manuel Fernandes European Parliament. He was also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas,Members 2019-2024 European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas. the European Parliament Intergroup on DisabilityMembers of the Disability Intergroup - EPP European Disability Forum. and the MEPs Against Cancer group.MAC MEPs in the 2019-24 legislature MEPs Against Cancer.
Following the 2019 elections, Fernandes was part of a cross-party working group in charge of drafting the European Parliament's five-year work program on economic and fiscal policies as well as trade.
Recognition In 2020, Fernandes was voted the most influential Portuguese MEP of 2020.Sofia Diogo Mateus (11 January 2021), Portuguese people to know in the Brussels Bubble Politico Europe.
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