The Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Stavros Papastavrou, in an interview he gave this morning on Mega TV’s program “Society: Ora Mega,” with journalists Anthi Voulgari and Iordanis Chasapopoulos. As he said, the bill will then go to Parliament, where it is expected to be voted on this summer.
Mr. Papastavrou emphasized that the water problem is comprehensive and requires a holistic approach: “We need to move forward with a reform and join forces, since there are 735 water management agencies in our country, whereas in Ireland and Poland there is only one.”
This effort begins in Attica and the neighboring regions of Central Greece, Thessaloniki, and Chalkidiki, where more than 50% of the population resides, while EYDAP and EYATH will be the key agencies leading the effort:
“No single municipality can make the necessary investments on its own; it lacks the financial capacity. EYDAP and EYATH, however, have the economies of scale and the technical expertise to carry them out,” he noted.
“I would like to remind you that a great many networks are outdated, with all that this entails for leaks and public health,” he noted, emphasizing that currently, out of every 100 drops of water in our country, 70 are lost in some areas, whereas in countries like Singapore and Israel, the same drop is reused two or three times.
Regarding the price, Mr. Papastavrou emphasized that water in Greece is and will remain the cheapest in Europe, with the highest quality. And he made it clear: “Water is and will remain a public good. It belongs to all of us, and especially to our children, and we must protect it.”
In the same vein, the Minister noted that three rounds of funding have been planned for municipalities to implement projects to combat water scarcity: “Twenty-five municipalities have applied, and we have signed agreements for targeted interventions totaling over 40 million euros for 33 projects. We are continuing this effort, and this week we will be visiting the Peloponnese,” he noted.
Mr. Papastavrou also addressed the recent fire in Oreokastro, responding to allegations that it was set to make way for wind turbines. He specifically addressed the statement by Maria Karystianou, emphasizing that there are no wind turbines in Oreokastro, nor any project development permits. “This is all a figment of the imagination. I think this issue requires a great deal of seriousness, especially when it is so far from reality,” he noted.
Finally, responding to a question about the progress of hydrocarbon exploration, Mr. Papastavrou noted that the first exploratory well will be drilled in February 2027, in the northwestern Ionian Sea, in the Asopos area, where, according to estimates by the Chevron-HelleniQ Energy consortium, there are approximately 270 billion cubic meters of hydrocarbons that may be commercially exploitable. As he noted, if these estimates are confirmed, public revenues—according to the consortium—from this specific well alone will reach 10 billion euros.
The Minister of Environment and Energy also emphasized the issue of environmental protection, making it clear that under no circumstances will these drilling operations threaten it: “There is no room for compromise when it comes to environmental protection. We are committed to sustainable development. We say no to solar panels in forests and Natura forest areas.
We say no to wind turbines on small islands. We say no to wind turbines above 1,200 meters. We support renewable energy sources in a balanced way, as they strengthen our energy resilience. “We protect the biodiversity of our homeland, and on this issue, there can be no compromises,” he stated emphatically.