Just in case anyone believed the oil threat hanging over Aljezur was a ‘one-off’ that may never happen, the government has this week established minimum conditions for insurances that will “start being required from the holders titles of private use of national maritime space”.
These insurances will become mandatory from “the end of November” this year.
To re-cap, the government has said it will not be issuing new licences for gas or oil exploration on Portuguese territory until after next year’s elections.
But powermakers clearly have the picture beyond that date well-planned.
Their announcement has been published in government newspaper Diário da República and picked up by media sources that highlight the obligation that companies holding contracts “celebrate and maintain valid civil liability insurance to cover the damages of their activity caused to third parties, by their actions or omissions, of their representatives or persons employed by them for whom they may be civilly responsible”.
Further down in the story comes the punchline: “the minimum capital of the insurance contract for each annuity, irrespective of the number of claims and the number of victims involved, shall be € 187,500 for uses subject to a concession or license, and € 150,000 for uses subject to authorization”.
Say activists, this is “ridiculous”.
“Since 2017 the minimum requirement for insurances within the automobile industry has been for civil responsibility of a minimum of €7,290,000”, Laurinda Seabra CEO of ASMAA told us.
“How can they set such a crazy low amount for the oil industry? It’s beyond ridiculous”.
But this analogy is not taken up by national media which has been powering the government’s mantra of the national interest in oil exploration in Portugal throughout the summer.
For now, drilling that could have started anytime after September 15 is ‘embargoed’ by the courts, but with appeals already lodged by the government and due to be heard in Lisbon – not Loulé which has been dealing with the issue previously – it is anyone’s guess as to how long the embargo will hold.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
