The European Green Party and the Spanish Green parties ICV and Equo have called for all approval for drilling in the Canary Islands to be put on hold. Offshore drilling in the Canary Islands, which is one of the richest areas in the world in terms of biodiversity, was fast-tracked by controversial commissioner Miguel Arias Canete while he was still Spanish environment minister. The project will involve high-risk drilling at depths over a thousand metres deeper than those in the Gulf of Mexico used in the Deepwater Horizon well.
Any accident in relation to drilling threatens to destroy the local environment, the area’s vital tourism industry, and crucially, the islands’ water supply which relies fully seawater desalination. These dangers are reflected in the strong local hostility to the project, where a broad majority of people are opposed, along with the Canary Parliament (including the regional government party), and six out of seven island councils. The central Constitutional Court has further suspended a consultation on the opinion of every citizen on the island.
Speaking on the proposed drilling, EGP Co-Chair Monica Frassoni stated:
“It is clear that this plan favours profits for big oil above the needs and concerns of local people. Any drilling off the Canary Island is contrary to good sense, not to mention the EU Habitats directive, the Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Directive next to the Habitat Directive.. The possible effects of this drilling are catastrophic.
“While the immediate effect of drilling is extremely risky, we can’t ignore the short-sightedness of oil as an energy source. Spain, along with the rest of the EU, must drop its addiction to fossil fuels and commit seriously to get away from fossil fuels dependency and move towards ambitious climate targets in advance of COP21. Renewables and energy efficiency produce more jobs, less emissions and are more economically beneficial than oil, it’s simple. Spain must reverse its continuous attacks on the renewable sector.
“We call on the Spanish government to drop these plans, to learn from the Deepwater Horizon spill, and respect the democratically expressed views of its citizens.”