Today, the list of “Project of Common Interests” (PCI list) was supported by the European Parliament. The list includes priority energy infrastructure projects promoted and financed by the European Union. It contains electricity and smart grid projects, but also projects on gas, oil and CO2. Every two years the EU Commission publishes a new list of priorities, which the European Parliament can only accept or reject in its entirety. Some 29 billion EUR of EU taxpayers’ money is earmarked for 32 new gas projects alone. This is a paradoxical contradiction with the proclaimed ambitions of the new European Commission.
Thomas Waitz, co-chair of the European Green Party and MEP comments:
“The European Parliament cannot declare a climate emergency in Europe and then give the green light for new fossil fuel projects the next moment. Billions of taxpayer money will now go towards financing gas pipelines, gas terminals and fracking, instead of investing in the expansion of renewable energy.
We demand an instant revision of the criteria for projects of common interest, so that future projects are in accordance with the climate objectives of the European Green Deal and in line with the Just Transition needed.
The terminal off the northern Croatian Adriatic island of Krk is one of the projects included in the fourth PCI list. This terminal is meant to take up millions of tons of US LNG fracking gas, even US associations regret further environmental destruction from US fracking through a rise of EU demand. The LNG project is in contradiction with the EU’s obligations assumed under the Paris Agreement and the project is only supported by Croatia and thus does not have the cross-border support a PCI would need.”
Zorislav Antun Petrović, president of ORaH, the Croatian Green party member of the EGP comments:
“Energy independence is in Croatia's interest and should be achieved by investing in renewables. Wasting Croatian and EU money in a potentially stranded investment while accelerating the climate crisis is a completely irresponsible political decision. Another key objection to the LNG terminal is that this fossil infrastructure project is situated in the most sustainable and green region of Croatia, it will harm the further development of local tourism and does not have the support of its citizens and the municipalities on the island.”
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Valentin Dupouey
Head of the Communication Unit / Press Officer
E valentin.dupouey@europeangreens.eu
T +32 (0) 485 93 99 26
European Green Party
Rue Wiertz 31, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
www.europeangreens.eu
