The Commission’s response today on the importance of the Greece-Cyprus electricity cable to a written question tabled by MEP and member of the European Parliament, Nikolas Farantouris. The Greek MEP had called for “clear support from the Commission” and “condemnation of Turkish threats” following the events in Kassos.

In his response today, Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen clarifies that: a) the Commission unreservedly supports the project and b) Turkey’s threats are baseless and cannot stop a project of European interest.

In particular, the Commissioner in his reply today notes that “the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) is a “project of strategic importance” that will end Cyprus’ energy isolation, the importance of which has just been underlined by the electricity cuts that occurred in Cyprus in August 2025. It is also expected to significantly reduce energy costs for consumers. As it says, “the Commission strongly supports the GSI project”, which is a project of common interest (PCI) and has been allocated a grant of EUR 657 million under the Connecting Europe Facility.

Turkey’s threats

Regarding Turkey’s threats following the events in Kassos, Commissioner Jørgensen stresses that the Commission attaches “the utmost importance to safeguarding the sovereign rights of all Member States, with full respect for international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”. He continues: “An unwavering commitment to good neighbourly relations, international agreements and the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter, as well as refraining from unilateral actions that run counter to the EU’s interests and violate international law and the sovereign rights of its Member States, remains a key condition for ensuring a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also for developing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between the EU and its Member States.

Speaking from Sarajevo, participating in an official European Parliament mission, Nicolas Faradouris noted that “it is clear that the project is of strategic importance and must be implemented. I call on the Greek and Cypriot governments to proceed immediately, ignoring the unacceptable and illegal threats of Turkey with the seal of the European institutions.