British PM Asks EU to Avoid New Shale Gas Legislation

The United Kingdom released the Regulatory Roadmap for Onshore Oil & Gas exploration on Tuesday, paving the way for an onshore licensing round in early summer. At the same time, Prime Minister David Cameron wrote a letter to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, asking Brussels to avoid new legislation.

“I am not in favour of new legislation where the lengthy timeframes and significant uncertainty involved are major causes for concern. The industry in the UK has told us that new EU legislation would immediately delay imminent investment," Cameron wrote to Barroso.

 UK EXPECTS 50-150 NEW LICENCES

Also on Tuesday, Energy Minister Michael Fallon published for consultation an Environmental Report on their proposals for further onshore oil and gas licensing of Great Britain.

"We could be doubling the amount of onshore licences in this round," Energy Minister said on Tuesday, confirming that the government expects to issue 50-150 licences.

Fallon said that responsible production is key to decrease country’s dependence on imports. 

“Today marks the next step in unlocking the potential of shale gas in our energy mix," he stated.