The Minister of the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, today defended the importance of the State’s presence in REN’s capital and that the country cannot have critical infrastructures dependent on foreign powers.
“REN is a very important bet, and the presence of the public sector, of the State, in REN is extremely important from a strategic standpoint, from the viewpoint of national security, and of national sovereignty. We cannot have our critical electricity and gas infrastructures and gas storage completely dependent on foreign powers,” said Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The Environment Minister spoke in Soure, in the Coimbra district, during a visit to the intervention works underway on the Arunca River, following the storms at the beginning of the year, as part of Municipal Day, during which she received the Gold Medal.
Asked about the payment of 64 million euros as a premium in the REN deal, the minister refused to comment, referring to the Finance Minister who will soon go to Parliament to explain the whole operation.
To the journalists, the minister argued that the State’s presence in REN does not stem from distrust of investors, noting what is happening with European electricity transmission companies.
“It’s not that we distrust anyone; we have good relationships with everyone, but the State also has to be there. There is not a single one of the 40 European electricity transmission companies in the expanded Europe that does not have State participation. It would be Portugal only,” she said.
According to the minister, the State must have “a strong say” in the major decisions of electricity and gas, considering that the role of the regulator does not replace its presence.
“We had a say through a regulator. It is an independent regulator, with whom we have an excellent relationship and who has done an excellent job, but our position in today’s world has to be more present in these institutions,” she said.
