New postponement of the thriller of hydrocarbon exploration in Crete

Of Thanks to Floudopoulos

A new postponement, the fourth in a row, was given to the hearing of the appeal of three environmental organizations by the Council of State against the seismic surveys in the area in the south and west of Crete.

The administrative appeal of the three environmental organizations was submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Energy in April 2019, while in June 2019 an application was submitted to the CoC for annulment of the ministerial decision approving the Strategic Environmental Impact Study (SPS).

The application was to be discussed in October 2020 but was postponed 4 times, with the last extension being given yesterday, February 2. The reason for the postponement was, according to information, the fact that the competent rapporteur is absent on maternity leave.

The trial of the case was rescheduled for October 5, 2022. It is noted that in October 2022, the time limit that the consortium of Total, ExxonMobil and ELPE has under the concession contract for the execution of the planned earthquakes is running out.

It is reminded, however, that regardless of the judicial outcome of the appeal of the environmental organizations, the consortium in the plan recently submitted to the Hellenic Hydrocarbon Management Company does not include conducting seismic surveys for this year.

With regard to the appeal, the environmental organizations cite the reasons for their request as the insufficient system for monitoring the environmental impact on marine biodiversity as well as the lack of consideration by the authorities of alternatives.

In any case, according to information, the competent authorities have conveyed to the consortium the general desire of the State, to proceed with the hearing of the appeal faster, something that in practice seems extremely difficult to happen.