“S.O.S. Adriatic”: A great victory for the campaign! Oil companies withdrew due to public pressure

The “S.O.S. Adriatic ” coalition welcomes the decision of Marathon Oil and OMV – the two oil companies with the biggest number of concessions – to withdraw from the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the Adriatic.

“First, the media reported that the reason for this decision was the border dispute between Croatia and Montenegro, while today the companies announced that it is because of economic reasons, low oil prices and uncertain investment. We believe that the public pressure was crucial for this decision as it is now quite clear that the majority of citizens are opposed to this harmful project, as shown by the latest surveys. We also believe that our “S.O.S. Adriatic” campaign has certainly contributed to this decision,” said Zoran Tomic, the head of Greenpeace in Croatia.

“S.O.S. Adriatic”, the coalition of environmental organisations, reminds that the CEO of the Agency for Hydrocarbons, Barbara Doric, deceived the public only a few days ago by saying that the negotiations with the companies were completed and that the contracts will be signed by end of July. Due to such irresponsible statements and the overall management of this harmful project, we seek the dismissal of Ms. Doric and the abolition of the Agency, an incompetent and unnecessary institution. We also call on the Minister of Economy Ivan Vrdoljak to resign as he is politically the most responsible person for this project full of holes and irregularities!

“I once again call upon the Croatian Government to listen to its citizens, and withdraw from signing the contracts with the other three concessionaires. We urge the Government to declare a moratorium on oil drilling in the Adriatic. The future is not in fossil fuels, but in renewable energy sources which have great potential in the Adriatic area. The campaign “S.O.S. Adriatic” will surely continue. Together with our international partners, we will fight against new oil rigs on both sides of the Adriatic Sea,” concluded Luka Tomac, the vice president of Zelena akcija/FoE Croatia.