The main business associations in the Algarve «strongly condemn» the Government's decision to authorize the drilling of a hydrocarbon prospecting hole off Aljezur, without a prior environmental impact study.
ACRAL, AIHSA, AHETA, CEAL and NERA took a joint position, in which they reaffirmed their opposition to any activity related to prospecting and exploration of oil and natural gas in the Algarve and its waters.
The Algarve businessmen defended that "the contract in force must be terminated" and promise to "continue, through the courts, to fight against this process".
«The business associations in the Algarve denounce, in particular, the lack of transparency in the Government's actions, by renouncing the prior requirement of an environmental impact study, which ends up confirming that it does not follow any economic strategy, but a political agenda of short term, successively putting the region before faits accomplis, to say later that “we have to respect the commitments”, believe the five business associations.
This agenda is confirmed, in the view of the businessmen, by the announcement made by the government, to extend to 2019 the deadline for the attribution of new licenses for oil prospecting. "That is, it postpones until after the next elections, thus seeking to avoid disputes until then," they accuse.
For the associations, activities related to oil exploration call into question the tourism industry, «the main export sector in Portugal (15 billion euros in 2017)», a value to which the Algarve contributed «about 50%» .
«An annual drop of 15 or 20% in international tourism revenue in the region – caused by a deterioration of the brand image of Tourism in the Algarve – would represent a decrease in revenue in the order of 1000 to 1500 million euros, which – for the uncertainties theoretical numbers that are put forward by the promoters of oil exploration – it is much more than the possible benefits of oil in reducing our fuel imports», they claim.
«Algarve entrepreneurs, their representative associations and institutions, and all citizens, must remain united in this battle against the prospecting and exploration of oil and gas in any part of their region, on land or at sea», they conclude.
The joint statement is signed by ACRAL – Association of Commerce and Services of the Algarve Region, AHETA – Association of Hotels and Touristic Enterprises of the Algarve, AIHSA – Association of Hotel and Similar Industries of the Algarve, CEAL – Confederation of Entrepreneurs of the Algarve and NERA – Business Association of the Algarve Region.
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