Gas is a fossil fuel that, along with oil and coal, is responsible for the greenhouse effect and the exacerbation of climate change. According to the scientific community, the combustion of gas, which can only be euphemistically called “natural”, emits methane and carbon dioxide, two gases that contribute to global warming and thus threaten planetary biodiversity and thousands of endangered species.
Despite the need to abandon gas in the context of the green transition to clean energy, on September 30, 2021 the Greek government submitted an amendment that was both irrelevant and last minute, in violation of the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, which subsidizes the consumption of gas. In particular, Article 8 of the amendment provides that, by a joint decision of the Ministers of Environment and Finance, there will be a subsidy available for the consumption of gas that can be credited to the accounts of beneficiaries to be used as a discount from gas suppliers. This is despite long held criticism of gas and fossil fuel subsidies from the scientific community, environmental organizations and journalistic research which shows that such subsidies incentivise the production and consumption of fossil fuels and act as an obstacle to the clean energy transition, worsening the climate crisis.
This illegal amendment should be considered in the context of the gas lobby and the business climate in Greece. In addition to the great power of the gas industry at the international level that opposes the adoption of ambitious goals to deal with the climate crisis, the largest Greek groups active in the energy sector (GEK TERNA, Elpe, Motor Oil), which in stark contrast to scientific data call gas “one of the cleanest […] forms of energy” (Mytilineos, Copelouzos) have made gas a key pillar of their investment, and are lobbying intensively for fossil fuels. Indicatively, in an EU public consultation on increasing the EU targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, Mytilineos opposed the proposal to further reduce emissions and gas consumption.
Aiming at the adoption of rules for good and transparent legislation that adhere to the rule of law, Article 74 paragraph 5 of the Constitution and Article 101 paragraph 5 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament stipulate that ministerial amendments to proposed bills must be submitted up to three days before the start of the debate in the Plenary or the relevant parliamentary committee, and prohibits amendments that are irrelevant to the main object of the bill.
The purpose of the above rules is to allow enough time for the proper legislative and consultation processes to be followed, allowing input both from MPs and from the public of any regulation proposed by ministers in the form of amendments.
The practice of submitting last minute amendments bypasses scrutiny procedures and ultimately represents a lack of accountability in the legislative process concerning laws that may affect the rights and lives of millions of citizens.
Despite the existence of rules and laws governing the entirety of the legislative process, including amendments, the government ignored these rules and submitted an amendment that was both irrelevant to the main bill and was not submitted in a timely enough manner to undergo parliamentary or public scrutiny.
Bank Account number: 1100 0232 0016 560
IBAN: GR56 0140 1100 1100 0232 0016 560
BIC: CRBAGRAA
In a time where the very foundations of democracy are gradually being eroded by the rise of extreme nationalism, alt-right movements, the spread of disinformation and corporate capture, the efforts of organisations such as Vouliwatch are more relevant than ever.
We rely on the generosity of each and every one of you to continue with our efforts for more transparency and accounta
By financially supporting Vouliwatch you support our litigation strategy, our campaigns for transparency and accountability in the political system, the development of new civic tech tools, our research projects and last but not least our impartial and accurate
