Reuters: Germany government reiterates its ban on fracking
Germany said on Monday it has no plans to lift a ban on fracking, following a report in news magazine Der Spiegel that it was considering lowering the hurdles for shale gas extraction to allow test drilling.
At present, Germany only plans to allow fracking below a depth of 3,000 metes (yards), to ensure that there is no danger to ground water supplies. Der Spiegel had reported that this depth boundary would be scrapped.
While denying the report, a spokeswoman for the Environment Ministry did not rule out that fracking might one day be allowed in Germany as technology progresses.