Algarve protestors are heading to Lisbon later this month, to hear the government's explanation of its incomprehensible pro-oil stance in the face of national climate change agreements and serious irregularities in licencsing agreements.
Premier anti-oil association, ASMAA, has selected February 23rd for a long-overdue parliamentary hearing to discuss the various points raised during the public consultation for the Galp-ENI test well drilling application.
ASMAA, the Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association, has decided to accept the February date for Petition 136/XIII/1a to be heard after the association’s eagle-eyed president, Laurinda Seabra, spotted that Galp-ENI had been awarded a drilling licence on January 11th, allowing the consortium to drill a 3 kilometre deep well off the Algezur coastline. The game is on; with the government attempting to conceal its licencing activities, ASMAA is determined to expose the misinformation, illegalities, non-compliance and obfustication that now chacterises the government's oil industry aspirations.
News that the government quietly had issued the Galp-ENI licence on Januaru 11th, spread across the Algarve like wildfire, causing the region’s mayors, business groups and tourism bodies to explode with indignation that a 42,000 signature petition had been ignored by the government, the results of a public petition have not been commented on, or discussed, and that a drilling licence had been issued when there is a legal action still in process - one that may halt all drilling activity.
When ASMAA discovered that this key Galp-ENI licence had been issued, this explained the suspiciously long wait for a response from the Minister of the Sea and the Directorate of Marine Resources.
Despite the first petition having been ignored by government, a second has been started to complain about the first.:
Http://peticaopublica.com/pview.aspx?pi=furonabaciadalentejoHttp://peticaopublica.com/pview.aspx?pi=furonabaciadalentejo
This petition "requests that both the Minister of the Sea, as well as the head of the Directorate General for Marine Resources reply to requests for information sent to them on 14 December, 2016 by the appointed Portuguese Government Petition Evaluation Commission. ASMAA also refers to a reply that the Commission received from the Finance Minister which clearly indicates that the questions posed in the petition fall within the Minister of the Sea's portfolio."
At the same time as the parliamentary hearing, a press conference and demonstration will take place in front of parliament on the 23rd February, starting at 13:00.
Another anti-oil association, PALP, is continuing to request the termination of all the oil and gas exploration and extraction contracts and is demanding some transparency from the government.
PALP is especially concerned that the government is doing little to stop the oil and gas companies because, claims the organisation, there are perfectly good legal reasons that the government can use to get itself out of the mess it is in.
Firstly, there have been unjustified delays from the oil companies in presenting their work plans and, secondly, some of the objections presented during the public consultation period for the Galp-ENI licence illustrate sound legal grounds for scrapping the drilling programme due to illegalities relating to the contracts.
The mayors’ group, ASMAA, has reiterated its condemnation of the government’s devious behaviour with Aljezur’s mayor, José Amarelinho perhaps the most vociferous as his local economy is almost totally reliant on tourism, so anything that puts this at risk must be halted.
In Loulé, on February 9th at 5:00 p.m., the Algarve Free from Oil Movement (MALP) is to protest outside the town hall against oil exploration in the Algarve.
The movement’s organisers also would like to know what the Socialist Party mayor’s views are and what the mayor thinks he can do at government level "in order to end this oppression over the life of the Algarve."
MALP also want to know the point of public petitions when the anti-oil petition, with over 40,000 signatures has been ignored.
