Mitsotakis – The sale of new cars with internal combustion engines will be banned

The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the bold reforms concerning the environment and the energy orientation of the country towards renewable energy sources, speaking at the cabinet meeting.

Describing the reforms, Mr. Mitsotakis noted that “green policy also concerns everyday life. This will get better because within the framework of the climate law we have undertaken some very specific commitments “.

Mr. Mitsotakis referred to the climate law presented today, emphasizing that from 2023 in all new houses that will be constructed the installation of oil burners where there is an adequate natural gas network will be prohibited.

From 2025 all new taxis in Athens and Thessaloniki, but also 1/3 of the rental vehicles, should be either electric or zero emission vehicles.

And from 2030 the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines will be banned.

Mr. Mitsotakis also said that tomorrow he will be in Halki where he will launch the GR – eco islands initiative, which will show a model of transition of our small and then our large islands to the green season. Which means not just a cleaner environment but cheaper electricity for everyone.

On the PPC

The Prime Minister stressed that the valuation in which the share capital increase of PPC is carried out is extremely encouraging and underlined “a strong PPC can support the consumers in the difficulty we are facing today, absorbing part of the increases in electricity prices, but at the same time becoming the protagonist in the green transition in both Greece and the Balkans “.

The introductory position in the cabinet

“Before we begin, a remark about the pandemic and in view of the implementation and the new measures from Saturday. As we have said many times, there is indeed a significant outbreak of cases, which is primarily an outbreak of cases among those who have not been vaccinated. There is a lot of pressure on the National Health System in Northern Greece.

But there is another side to reality: that in the last three days alone, more than 60,000 new appointments for first vaccinations have been made and the flow for the 3rd booster dose is constant, about 30,000 appointments a day, “he added.

“I remind you that last December, in a measurement that was taken, only 33% of the adults told us that they would be vaccinated for sure, while 11 months later 73% of the adult Greeks were vaccinated.

I mention this because in the face of fear and easy criticism there is the other Greece, which responds to the call of reason, responds to the policy of persuasion and denies the deniers of the truth, as well as the deniers of the alliance against a national challenge.

The message, then, to those who bet on artificial divisions remains the same: we are being vaccinated, we are being united, we are taking our lives back and moving on. ”

I now come to the agenda of our regular meeting today, which could also be described as “green”, as it focuses on four bold reforms concerning the environment, the country’s energy orientation towards renewable energy sources.

First and foremost, the climate law, which the country is acquiring for the first time. The new framework for the production and storage of electricity from clean sources, with an emphasis on offshore wind farms. Third, the transformation of the hydrocarbon management authority. And of course the national plan of circular economy for the four years 2021-2025.

We are talking, therefore, about a multilevel, a coherent program that leads Greece to the new era with goals and timetables. In a development that on the one hand will offer clean and cheap energy but at the same time will offer many, good new jobs and a better quality of life to the citizens.

It is a necessary choice in the midst of the climate crisis, but it is a choice synonymous with the progress of the place and the prosperity of society.

The new framework obviously serves our country’s commitments, which I had the opportunity to reiterate on Monday at the UN summit.

Greece remains a European protagonist in the rapid decontamination of polluting lignite. I remind you that by 2023 at the latest, all the old polluting units of PPC will have been closed and by 2028 at the latest – this date may come earlier – we will be completely independent of lignite combustion.

At the same time, we are a leader in the investments of renewable energy sources, but also

Electricity, but at the same time – and I want to emphasize this – we are also becoming a hub for the transfer of clean energy to the Mediterranean.

The energy diplomacy that Greece is already launching is also moving in this direction, such as the recent agreement with Egypt on the electricity interconnection, through which clean electricity will be transferred from the African sun to Greece and from there to Europe. .

But the position of Greece as an energy hub concerns not only the present but also the future. In the discussions we had, for example, with Saudi Arabia, Greece can become a hub for the entry of green hydrogen that will be produced in the Middle East and through Greece will be introduced to the European market.

It thus becomes clear that the global energy environment, apart from being a development challenge, is also a field for upgrading the geostrategic and international position of our country.

The green policy that we will discuss today, however, also concerns everyday life. This will get better because under the climate law we are making some very specific commitments.

For example, from 2023, all new homes that will be built will be banned from installing oil burners where there is an adequate gas network.

From 2025 all new taxis in Athens and Thessaloniki, but also 1/3 of the rental vehicles, should be either electric or zero emission vehicles.

And from 2030 the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines will be banned.

I know that these goals are ambitious, but they are necessary and with the plan we have at our disposal they can become realistic. After all, these are initiatives to which all Greeks now respond, and first and foremost our young people. This is proved, moreover, by the great success of the “Save” program, as well as the rapid transformation of our islands into green, energy-autonomous areas.

Tomorrow I will be in Halki, I will have the opportunity to launch the GR – eco islands initiative, which will show a model of transition of our small and then our large islands to the green era. Which means not just a cleaner environment but cheaper electricity for everyone.

This green policy, ladies and gentlemen, is also a developmental challenge of the times. It is no coincidence that today will be completed the Share Capital Increase of PPC, 1.35 billion euros which many important and reliable investors rushed to offer, in an extremely encouraging valuation. With the State still holding control of the company, with the share price today at 9 euros when – I remind you – we received it at 1 euro and the Public Electricity Company on the verge of bankruptcy.

A strong PPC can support consumers in the difficulty we are facing today, absorbing some of the increases in electricity prices, but will also become a protagonist in the green transition in Greece and the Balkans.

Clean energy is therefore becoming a new field of global economic activity. From there, public and private funds will be mobilized, generating wealth and new employment. And the countries most ready for the green transition will be the winners of the future.

We will have the opportunity today in the Council of Ministers to discuss two more important initiatives.

The reform of national health service EOPYY which will be presented to us by the Minister of Health, a very important intervention which I believe the Ministry of Finance will see with relief, as it completely rationalizes the context of purchases of health services.

And another very important reform that will be presented to us by the Minister of Justice, but I also want to thank the Deputy Prime Minister because he played an important role in shaping it, which concerns the National School of Judges. An important intervention in the overall rationalization of Justice.”