JOINT PRESS RELEASE 09/10/2025
A fundamental step towards rationalizing the sector, prompted by the case of the Akarnanian Mountains
An extremely important decision towards the rationalization of the institution of Energy Communities (EC), Citizens’ Energy Communities (CEC) and Renewable Energy Communities (REC), was announced last week by the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy, and Water (RAWEW). According to the announcement posted on the Authority’s website last week, RAWEW interpreted the relevant provisions of the legislation in order to address the issue of ownership concentration that has arisen during the EC licensing process and leads to abuse of the rights arising from the provisions of the legislation on Energy Communities.
The extensive and detailed announcement by the RAWEW leaves no room for misinterpretation regarding cases of abuse of the EKIN institution, and its main points can be summarized as follows:
– It is stated in the most unequivocal terms that the concentration of ownership in EC, CEC and REC is contrary to their cooperative nature and effectively precludes their non-profit character (which is clearly provided for in the legislation governing these entities) and conceals their commercial exploitation.
– It is made clear that the correct interpretation and application of the legislative framework leads to the approach that legal entities participating in the aforementioned energy communities are independent of each other, in the sense that they are not linked through a natural or legal person who participates directly or indirectly in their administration or holds a stake, regardless of size, as a shareholder, partner, or member of a legal entity.
– RAWEW concludes by explicitly stating that it has the power to check the ownership status of ECs, either on its own initiative or following a complaint, and, in the event that the condition of independence of their members is not met, it may even revoke Production Certificates/Licenses.
The grounds for the RAWEW to take this important decision were the joint intervention – complaint by 22 environmental organizations regarding abuse of the institutional framework by ECs which operate 15 wind farms in the Akarnanian Mountains. In this particular case, which was brought to light by the Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society, there is also a concentration of ownership and an obvious failure to comply with the condition of independence of EC members, since almost half of the members of each EC are single-member companies controlled by the same economic operator. Although this deviation from the law had been repeatedly pointed out, until now there had been no action by the Administration to clarify the relevant legislative framework, which is now being done in a clear manner.
The co-signing organizations welcome RAWEW’s announcement, which they consider a necessary and fundamental step towards rationalizing the sector and promoting genuine ECs. In the next stage, we expect, on the one hand, the implementation of the decision, starting with the case of ECs in the Akarnanian Mountains, and, on the other hand, relevant initiatives from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, such as the provision of specific guidelines to all services involved in the licensing of RES projects, for the identification of such abusive cases.
The co-signing organizations:
- Alkyoni – Association for the Care and Protection of Wild Animals
- ALKYON – Federation of ecological organizations of the Corinthian Gulf
- ANIMA – Hellenic Wildlife Care Association
- ARION – Research Center for the Rescue and Care of Cetaceans
- ARCHELON
- Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature
- Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society
- Thrace Biodiversity Protection Society
- Society for the Protection of Prespa
- CALLISTO
- Ecological Recycling Society
- PNEO – Panhellenic network of ecological organizations
- Pindos Environmental Organization
- Naxos Wildlife Protection
- “Tulipa Goulimyi” Association
- Naturefriends Greece
- Greenpeace
- iSEA
- MEDASSET
- MedINA – Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos
- The Green Tank
- WWF Hellas
Contact:
Hellenic ORNITHOLOGICAL Society: Roula Trigou, Communications Coordinator: 210 8228704 & 210 8227937 ext. 120
6977 528200 | rtrigou@ornithologiki.gr
