the economy of the EU
●Energy infrastructures and the differentiation of
the EU’s energy sources (suppliers)
●Projects of Common Interest (PCI) in energy
●The enhancement of the EuroMediterranean
Partnership
●RES
●Energy saving
●Improvement of energy efficiency
●Gas emissions
●Networks – electricity interconnections
●The new generation of biofuels
●Natural gas pipelines
●Hydrocarbon exploration
●Privatizations
In regard to the so-called “energy poverty”, the
MINENV leadership, which will be responsible for
the Greek presidency in the field of energy, has
taken certain decisions designed to protect Greek
citizens that are financially and socially vulnerable:
1.
For the first time in the country’s history,
430,000 Greek households will get electricity at
prices of up to 40% lower than those applicable to
middle and high incomes.
The Greek government is applying social solidar-
ity criteria, to support the unemployed, the dis-
abled and all low-income citizens, offering them
electricity at a substantial discount.
Greece is the first European country to implement
this policy.
2.
By means of a recent legislative initiative, all
welfare structures of the local governments, the
Church and the civil society, i.e. social, municipal
and church soup-kitchens, pharmacies and gro-
ceries, gain access to electricity at discounts of
up to 70%.
In the field of energy security, energy sufficiency
and alternative gas supply sources, the leader-
ship of the Ministry points out that:
1.
After 15 years of inaction, the gifts bestowed by
nature and geography upon the country’s
underground mineral wealth are at last utilized,
to the benefit of the Greek people. Research for
utilizing national hydrocarbon deposits is get-
ting underway in half of the country’s sea
blocks, in the Ionian Sea and south of Crete.
The concession agreements for the Gulf of
Patras and Ioannina blocks are being finalized.
These two agreements are expected to gener-
ate public revenues of about 10 billion euros,
25% of which will be invested in the local com-
munities. The law for the formation of the
crisis presents an opportunity for adopting a new
economic model. A key question that must be
addressed is whether Greece can attain a double
dividend, i.e. simultaneously fulfil environmental
targets and achieve economic growth that creates
new jobs.
This, according to the Greek presidency, can be
attained through EU sectoral policies in regard to:
●“Europe 2020” targets and the “2030 framework”
for climate and energy policies
●The integration of the Internal Energy Market of
the EU
●The protection of vulnerable consumers
●The analysis of energy prices and energy costs
in member states and the competitiveness of
Trade with Greece
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