M. Zambaras: We live in the country with the most expensive electricity price in Europe and the biggest super profits in the energy companies

Points of the speech of the Member of Parliament for Etoloakarnania and Head of the Environment and Energy Department of SYRIZA-PS in the Plenary Session of the Parliament on the Incorporation of the Directive on the publication of tax data, and specifically on article 17 regarding regulations in the supply of electricity

Through this article, the Ministry of Environment and Energy legislates the colored electricity tariffs from which the consumer must choose which of them to join. The Minister analyzed the complex way in which tariffs will be regulated and defended the benefit of consumers from this article without, of course, referring to the strong objections expressed by all consumer and business bodies without exception.

At the beginning of his speech, MP M. Zambaras referred to the fact that the European Commission abandons Greece, with a reasoned opinion on 18.10.2023, because it has not fully incorporated the provisions of Directive 2019/944 regarding the creation of competitive, consumer-focused, fair and transparent electricity markets

The government was supposed to have transposed the Directive by 31 December 2020 and now has two months to fully transpose or it will be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union once again, he said: “You obviously don’t care either the fair and transparent market but neither the focus on the consumer. No consumer can make their way through these incoherent and labyrinthine moves, and that’s probably what you’re aiming for, so that no consumer can know which tariff they’ll fall into unless they have a PhD in energy.”

The Member of Parliament then referred to the government’s statements that competition has opened up and electricity prices will drop: “Since the market was opened to other providers besides PPC, not only have the prices not dropped, but they have been increasing every month. What will happen at the beginning of the year when the adjustment clause subsidy has been removed? We are already talking about 10-20% increases for November. The increases in 2022 without the readjustment clause reached 50 to 60% for an average household!”

Regarding the government’s choice not to crack down on profiteering in the energy sector, the MP emphasized: “How much have you received from the super profits of the energy companies? How much profit have you received from the refinery surpluses? We are talking about billions in excess profits. Three billion were the super profits of the refineries in 2022 and of that you would get 90% as you said. What did you get? The lowest rate allowed by the EU, i.e. taxation at 33%. And this for a single year and not for two which you had the right to do.”

Finally, closing, the Member of Parliament said: “About SYRIZA and you know it very well, for 4 years there has not been a single euro increase in electricity bills. Not one euro! In the last year energy bills have had 50-60% increases!!!! Make the comparison. Zero euros with us and 50% with you. Only for November there will be increases of 10 to 20%. We don’t say that, the facts say it. Natural gas alone went from 1 euro to 1.45 this week alone!!! And you did nothing to suspend the transit fee from Bulgaria. All other countries did. We have the most expensive electricity price in Europe and the biggest super profits in energy companies.”