Former European Commission President Durão Barroso has expressed grave concern over the lack of clarity regarding the blackout that affected Portugal and Spain. Speaking in an interview with the Spanish publication 20minutos, published on Thursday, Barroso described the situation as “quite strange” given the passage of time without definitive answers.
“We still need, and are awaiting, a complete explanation of what really happened and why it happened. I think it is extremely important that, with full transparency, the results of all investigations are made public,” remarked the social-democrat and former Portuguese Prime Minister.
Barroso emphasized the peculiarity of not knowing the specifics of the incident days after it occurred. He advocates for a “common policy” in such matters to derive “lessons” and build “more resilience,” not just on the Iberian Peninsula, but throughout Europe.
“This does not mean we must apply exactly the same solutions everywhere. For example, the Iberian Peninsula, from a geographical standpoint, has certain specificities, and therefore, the interconnections within the Iberian Peninsula and from the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of Europe pose a specific challenge. However, the common energy policy, including issues of energy security, should be seen as a European common objective,” he explained.
On April 28, a widespread power outage hit continental Portugal, Spain, and Andorra, and partially affected France, disrupting electricity supplies extensively.
The blackout led to airport closures, significant transport and traffic congestion in major cities, and fuel shortages, among other consequences.
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity announced the formation of a committee to investigate the blackout’s “exceptional and serious” nature, which plunged Portugal and Spain into darkness.
The organization plans to investigate the root causes thoroughly, conduct an exhaustive analysis, and issue recommendations in a final report on the incident.
