The Algarve came together to say a sonoro and definitive "No!" the prospecting and exploration of gas and oil off Aljezur "and along the Portuguese coast" and, if the Government does not listen, it will be "a declaration of war" on the region.
The words are from Joaquina Matos, mayor of Lagos, but they mirror well the message left today, Thursday, in Loulé, by 11 mayors, ten from the Algarve and one from Alentejo, five business associations from the Algarve, close to two dozens of environmental associations and anti-oil movements and public figures: the intention to research and explore hydrocarbons has to be stopped and now.
The Loulé Chamber was the stage for a meeting that brought together representatives from the most varied sectors, which resulted in a joint position against the prospecting and exploration of hydrocarbons in Portugal, with special focus on the exploration hole that the Eni/Galp consortium is preparing to drill off Aljezur.
In the end, the dozens of entities gathered together made a joint statement, where they list the reasons why they believe that the Government should, once and for all, tear up the contracts related to the exploration of hydrocarbons. And the arguments are of different orders, namely ethical, environmental, legal and political.
It is in this last field, moreover, that the living forces of the Algarve, as well as the municipality of Odemira, intend to play, with the position taken today. From this meeting, in addition to a joint text, came the decision to request, "as a matter of urgency", an audience with Prime Minister António Costa.
The text was read by Francisco Ferreira, from association Zero, and by Rosa Neves, from Plataforma Algarve Livre de Petróleo, two of the civil society movements that attended the meeting (the full position can be read, in full, below).
And the only response from the government leader that will satisfy the many entities and personalities who gathered this Thursday in Loulé is that oil prospecting and exploration will not advance. It's just that the promise that nothing will advance without an Environmental Impact Assessment being carried out beforehand is not enough.
“The Government has to listen to us. This hole will not happen», assured José Amarelinho, mayor of Aljezur. The Aljezurense mayor was chosen to represent the mayors who attended the meeting and was not soft on the executive led by António Costa.
“The Government had all the legal instruments to have already resolved this issue. When we were called to speak, we presented a well-founded opinion at the technical, legal and political level, which would make it possible to stop this scourge," said José Amarelinho, who argues that the government executive "disrespects itself and persists in affronting the mayors and the population” by not ending the contracts that still exist.
Joaquina Matos went further and considered that, if the Government insists on keeping the contracts, it sees this "as a declaration of war on the Algarve and this is something that no one wants". “This is an old solution. The paradigm has changed», defended the lacobrigense mayor.
The future, believe the signatories of the joint position, involves the decarbonization of the economy and the investment in renewable energies.
Sociologist Luísa Schmidt, from the “Clean Future” national movement, even considers that the bet on fossil fuels is “an archaic story” and that “new uptakes” of hydrocarbons, at a global level, are no longer justified, given the growing commitment and structured in the so-called clean energies.
“We are walking backwards. France, for example, is already working on deactivating this activity. We are wasting precious time to attract investment in renewable energy», an area where we even have a successful track record. «This is the brand image we want for the country», believes Luísa Schmidt.
On the part of the businessmen, represented by Vitor Neto, president of NERA, comes a “firm position” against everything related to prospecting and exploration of oil. «The Algarve needs tranquility, a good environment and economic dynamism. It is essential that prospecting for hydrocarbons does not advance," he said.
Even because, recalled the president of the Algarve Tourism Region Desidério Silva, although tourism in the Algarve is going through a golden period, «there are competing destinations that are starting to recover» and «any negative news, such as the intention to explore oil off the Algarve', may jeopardize the region's competitiveness.
Carlos Silva e Sousa, mayor of Albufeira, goes further. "Any decision to keep the contracts is against the public interest", something that, he warns, will have "political and legal" consequences.
“The only way is for the Government to prove that oil exploration will make more money than tourism. And that is not possible at all», defended the mayor.
And not even promises of fat income would come to convince the signatories of the joint position. “Even if the payoffs to oil exploration were fantastic, we should continue to be against it. And it's not fanaticism. There are things that are harmful in themselves, which the country should not accept», defended the filmmaker António-Pedro Vasconcelos, one of the public figures present, like the Algarve writer Lídia Jorge.
And he gives an example: "If a South American drug cartel proposed to Portugal to become a cocaine producing country, to get rich with this activity, we would never accept", he defended.
the decision of go to war or securing peace is now on the Government's side.
Read the joint position in full:
«Mayors, business associations and environmental movements demand immediate cancellation of the oil drilling hole off Aljezur
The Secretary of State for Energy, Dr. Jorge Seguro Sanches, last January 8th, took the decision to extend the ENI/Galp consortium's oil exploration contract in the “Lavagante”, “Santola” and “Gamba” concessions in Atlantic Ocean, by the end of 2018, which includes the construction of a prospecting hole about 40 kilometers west of Aljezur, which the ENI/GALP consortium announces for May 2018.
The mayors of the Algarve and Alentejo, the business associations of the Algarve, the Algarve Tourism Region, together with associations and civil society movements that have always demonstrated against oil prospecting in Portugal, consider that, for political and legal reasons , do not accept that the announced prospecting proceeds, for the following reasons:
1. Consultation with coastal municipalities associated with the prospection site in offshore in compliance with Law No. 82/2017, of August 18, this resulted in a unanimous and clear REFUSAL of drilling the well off Aljezur; it is of the most elementary justice, and in compliance with the spirit of the law, that the political power respects the decision of the autarchies; in fact, during the public consultation on the attribution of the respective TUPEM (Security for the Private Use of Maritime Space), the State disregarded the opinion of more than 40.000 citizens who spoke out against its attribution in a clear demonstration of repudiation of this activity on the Portuguese coast; very bad is the government and democracy if, successively, they do exactly the opposite of what the public consultations reveal. We believe that, in a rule of law that strives for democratic processes, there are no political conditions to support the hole off Aljezur.
2. Law No. 37/2017, of June 2, requires an environmental impact assessment to be carried out for hydrocarbon research, considering that "administrative permission cannot be given for the transition to subsequent phases of activity provided for in the Decree-Law No. 109/94, of April 26, within the scope of contracts already signed or licenses granted, without complying with the obligations provided for in this law and in the legal regime of environmental impact assessment (EIA), without prejudice to compliance of the other legal or contractually established obligations”. We consider it a legal requirement to carry out the EIA of the activities associated with the prospecting hole planned for approximately 40 km west of Aljezur. AIA conveys security and transparency, due to the technicality it implies and the publicity it presupposes; at the stage of discussion of the problem of oil exploration in Portugal, it is of the utmost political convenience to provide this instrument. The deadlines for carrying out the EIA, including the necessary public discussion, are not compatible with the completion of the hole in the coming months, as already announced by the consortium;
3. The respective court is still in the process of evaluating an injunction filed by the PALP – Platform Algarve Livre de Petróleo, and awaiting its outcome; in fact, this fact contradicts the arguments given by the Secretary of State for Energy, who used it to justify his decision. We believe that there are no legal conditions for the hole to advance.
The decision of the Secretary of State for Energy was absolutely regrettable and incomprehensible because it wasted a unique opportunity to cancel, once and for all, a wrong and harmful option for the country, for the following reasons:
The. the prospecting activity off Aljezur, and the respective future exploration of hydrocarbons, would imply objective risks for the entire coastal strip, compromising the environmental and ecological wealth, namely the fish stocks, which would change the region's development paradigm, placing concerned various activities, such as tourism and fishing, among others.
B. the prospecting activity off Aljezur, and the respective future exploration of hydrocarbons, would irremediably compromise the image of excellence that tourism activity has in the region, and which has been so important for the country's economic recovery.
ç. additionally, oil and gas exploration contracts, which would follow the prospecting activity, are not a good deal for Portugal, not only because the exploration profits would fully belong to the oil companies involved and expatriates, as not only the capital involved is mostly foreign, as the revenues foreseen for Portugal are insignificant. Furthermore, if a serious environmental accident were to occur (an extreme scenario that cannot be ruled out), the national economy – including public and private sectors – would have to bear substantial costs and revenue losses in tourism, fishing and other activities.
d. Furthermore, we are wasting precious time to attract investment for the profitable and job-creating renewable energy sector, in which the country already has an internationally recognized track record.
and. in short, it is an unjustifiable decision because it goes against the public interest.
The decision announced by the Prime Minister, Dr. António Costa, in 2016, at the Climate Conference in Marrakesh, to evolve the Portuguese economy towards an economy without CO2 emissions by 2050, and the subsequent work to prepare the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality of the Portuguese economy until 2050 which is currently being developed (http://descarbonizar2050.pt), moreover financed by the Ministry of the Environment, goes in a completely opposite direction to what the decision of the Secretary of State for Energy presupposes. The Portuguese Government cannot, at the same time, work towards an economy without emissions and give the green light to activities that are responsible for the aggravation of the greenhouse effect, not respecting the International Agreements it has ratified. Therefore, there is no political coherence in the decision of the Secretary of State for Energy, which belies and contradicts the statements and decisions of the Prime Minister.
Thus, the local authorities, business associations, the Algarve Tourism Region, associations and civil society movements, gathered in Loulé on 22 February, in addition to considering that the decision taken by the Secretary of State for Energy is unacceptable and burdensome for the reasons presented, come to demand the immediate cancellation of the authorization given to the drilling of the well off Aljezur.
This text will be formally sent to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Environment and Minister of Economy. The group of mayors, environmental and business associations and other movements will ask TODAY for an urgent hearing from the Prime Minister».
List of signatories of the joint position:
ACRAL – Association of Commerce and Services of the Algarve Region
AHETA – Association of Hotels and Touristic Enterprises of the Algarve
AIHSA – Algarve Hotel and Similar Industry Association
ALA -Alentejo Coast for the Environment
Almargem
ASMAA – Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association
A Rocha Association
Lower Renewable Guadiana
CEAL – Confederation of Entrepreneurs of the Algarve
climax
clean future
Stop Oil Vila do Bispo Group
MALP – Algarve Free Oil Movement
NERA – Business Nucleus of the Algarve Region
PALP – Algarve Free Oil Platform
Preserve Aljezur
Mayor of Albufeira
President of the Alcoutim Chamber
Mayor of Aljezur
Mayor of Castro Marim
Mayor of Faro
Mayor of Lagoa
Mayor of Lagos
Mayor of Loulé
President of the Chamber of Odemira
Mayor of Olhão
Mayor of São Brás de Alportel
President of the Parish Council of Vila Nova de Milfontes
President of the Algarve Tourism Region
Quercus – National Association for the Conservation of Nature
Tavira in Transition
The Climate Reality Project in Portugal
Zero – Sustainable Terrestrial System Association
Note: The mayors of Silves and Portimão, Rosa Palma and Isilda Gomes, could not be present at the meeting, but they expressed solidarity with the initiative.
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