Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen has described the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project – the Greece-Cyprus electricity cable – as strategically significant, responding to a question submitted by SYRIZA-PS MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Security-Defense Committee, Nikolas Farantouris. The Greek MEP had requested “clear support from the Commission” and “condemnation of Turkish threats” following the Kasos incident.
According to a statement from Farantouris, the Energy Commissioner “makes clear that the Commission unconditionally supports the project and that Turkey’s threats are baseless and cannot halt a Project of European Interest.” Specifically, the Commissioner noted in his response that the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) is “a project of strategic significance” that will end Cyprus’s energy isolation, the importance of which was recently underscored by the power outages that occurred in Cyprus in August 2025.
He added that the project is also expected to significantly reduce energy costs for consumers. As he stated, “the Commission strongly supports the GSI project,” which is a project of common interest and has been allocated a grant of pound 657 million under the Connecting Europe Facility.
Jørgensen also noted that Cyprus’s Recovery and Resilience Plan includes a pound 100 million loan for the project, for which “no payment request has been received from Cyprus to date.” He added that the Commission remains in close contact with the involved parties to facilitate timely implementation of the project.
Regarding Turkish threats following the Kasos incident, the Commissioner, according to Farantouris’ announcement, emphasized that the Commission attaches “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 continued by stating that “unwavering commitment to good neighborly 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 EU interests and violate international law and the sovereign rights of its member states, remain fundamental prerequisites for ensuring a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as for developing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between the EU and Turkey.”