The government must provide an explanation to the EU within 30 days before a decision is made regarding the return of €68 million.

"The European Union initially decided to retract the amount of €68.6 million for the project of the terminal in Vasilikos. We will have 30 days to provide some explanations about what happened, and then we will await the final decision regarding this amount," said Minister of Energy Giorgos Papadopoulos, essentially keeping open the possibility of either confirming the initial decision or altering it.

As Mr. Papadopoulos noted, the European Union refers to violations of three criteria: the first was the score received by the consortium, which was below the minimum required. The second concerned a company within the consortium that did not have the required years of experience, and the third was the additional payment of €25 million, which was unjustified.

Regarding the floating unit "Prometheus," the Minister of Energy announced the government's intention to move forward in the coming days with a search for another vessel, after a cost-benefit analysis is conducted, sending the message that the country is not being blackmailed, as he stated.