The Algarve’s Big Five business associations have thrown their weight behind the region’s mayors in condemning the government’s continuing push for oil and gas exploration off the Aljezur coast.ACRAL, AHETA, AHISA, CEAL and NERA* is in total support of mayors’ group, the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve, AMAL for short.
AMAL issued a notice last Saturday to oppose oil and gas exploration onshore and offshore and especially condemned the one year licence extension handed to the Galp-ENI consortium, with the limp excuse from the Secretary of State for Energy that these companies has spent so much already, a purported €76 million, that they might sue if they were not allowed to carry on.
The statement reads, "Algarvian entrepreneurs and their representative associations have clearly expressed their opposition to exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Algarve - on land and on the coast - whether for environmental reasons or for economic reasons, above all because of the importance of tourism to the economy of the region and to the country.”
The business groups added, "Let no one have doubts: we will continue, united in this battle: municipalities, businessmen and citizens of the Algarve.”
The statement criticises the government for its deceptive and ambiguous stance on oil and gas, stating that it lacks foresight and creates uncertainty while harming the Algarve’s future.
Business groups started to support the mayors back in March 2016 by applauding AMAL’s court injunction to try and stop the oil exploration and extraction process going ahead.
This time, the Big Five associations have signed off a statement adding significant weight to the anti-oil campaign.
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*ACRAL (Associação do Comércio e Serviços da Região do Algarve), AHETA (Associação dos Hotéis e Empreendimentos Turísticos do Algarve), AIHSA (Associação dos Industriais Hoteleiros e Similares do Algarve), CEAL (Confederação dos Empresários do Algarve) and NERA (Associação Empresarial da Região do Algarve).