Caspian Report - Issue: 07 - Spring 2014

Davide Tabarelli
52
of some 200 million Euros - a significant
part of which was spent on legal
fees - BG decided to abandon Brindisi.
The statement by the President of Apulia
Region reflects a general resistance to
anything complex, modern and with the
potential to benefit private companies that
often represent industries believed to harm
public health.
Even investments in renewable energy
sources often face fierce opposition,
a problem that has rescinded
only because financial incentives to
the sector were sharply reduced in
2013. At the end of March 2014, the
President of the Apulia Region, Nichi
Vendola, declared that Apulia “has already
given a lot in terms of wind and
photovoltaic plant; the construction
of new plants should be capped. We
are leaders in Italy in new renewable
production with a share of 40% out
of the total electricity output, against
a European target of 20% by 2020.”
Apulia, where the TAP project should
come ashore, has a large amount of
new renewables simply because it has
been blessed with favourable natural
conditions. One of the biggest Italian
regions, its territory runs across vast
planes. Its geographical location in
the southern part of Europe and in
the middle of the Mediterranean provides
very good insolation levels and
optimal wind conditions. Moreover,
Apulia is sparsely populated with
large parts of the Region inhabitated.
Over the last decade, its once thriving
agricultural sector has suffered from
the economic downturn, which has
pushed many farmers to welcome
wind and photovoltaic plants in exchange
for royalties. The statement
by the President of Apulia Region reflects
a general resistance to anything
complex, modern and with the potential
to benefit private companies that
often represent industries believed to
harm public health. This is the effect
of the so-called antagonism applied in
the realm of politics and to the decision-making
authorisation process of
a modern democracy whose economy,
however, relies on complex industries.