With the enactment of the Law 27/2006, of 3rd July, which approved the BasicLaw for Civil Protection, the national system for Civil Protection was redefined, and the National Authority of Civil Protection (Portuguese acronym ANPC) assumed a primary role in the scope of planning, coordination and implementation of the Civil Protection policy.
The implementation of the Integrated System for Relief and Protection Operations (Portuguese acronym SIOPS), was initiated with Decree-Law  134/2006, of 25th July, which was a vital step in reforming the rescue function, defining the operational organisation supported in the characterisation of the national territory and the structural characteristics of the Civil Protection agents.

The ANPC integrates three national spheres, for the areas of Civil Protection resources, emergency planning and fire-fighters, as well as the command structure of the SIOPS.

The ANPC is thus a central service of an operational nature, of the direct administration of the Government, endowed with administrative and financial autonomy and its own patrimony, under the dependency of a responsible Government member within the Ministry of Interior.