An organizational revision at the Environment, Energy & Climate Change Ministry, initiated at the end of October through a Presidential decree, appears to have created role overlaps and confusion with regard to responsibilities concerning the country’s hydrocarbon policy.

As a result of the restructuring, the energy department’s petroleum policy division has been split into two divisions. One of the two, the General Energy Division, is in charge of a hydrocarbons department, while the other, the General Mineral Resources Division, controls policy and exploration. However, the organizational guidelines for the two new divisions include hydrocarbon departments for both, making it unclear as to which of the two divisions is responsible for managing affairs concerning the country’s hydrocarbon activity, currently heightened by various tenders.

The revisions, however, do make clear that the Greek Hydrocarbon Management Company is not fully responsible for the country’s hydrocarbon activity, as had been anticipated. Instead, it will operate as part of the ministry’s two departments involved with hydrocarbon activity.

Based on the revised organization plan, certain officials with demanding roles in the effort to help prepare the country’s various hydrocarbon tenders find themselves in a void without any essential job responsibilities.