The Algarve’s Communist party is organising a public session in Faro on the 'big oil debate.'
"Oil and gas in the Algarve: study, assess, consider, decide,' will be held at the Clube Farense in the Algarvian capital on July 8th, at 21:30 hours, organised by the directorate of the regional Communist Party.
In a statement, the communist challenge "the opaque manner" of the process of granting concessions for prospecting, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas in the Algarve.
"The PCP believes that the final decision on the operation phase must necessarily be preceded by environmental and economic impact studies to support a public debate, with wide participation of the people, local authorities, economic operators and environmental organisations, to consider the advantages and disadvantages of hydrocarbon exploitation," reads the party statement.
"We need to study, evaluate, consider: to study the feasibility of commercial exploitation and the potential benefits, assess the environmental risks and the possibility of eliminating them, considering the impact on other economic activities."
Only with this study, the evaluation and this consideration, "will the country be able to make an informed decision."
Algarve MP, Paulo Sá will be there as well as Vasco Cardoso from the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
