The International Institute of Political Science (IIPS) at Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic) has recently released a new study named  "Shale Gas in Poland and the Czech Republic: Regulation, Infrastructure and Perspectives of Cooperation."

 

This study focuses on the current development of the events associated with shale gas in the Czech Republic and Poland with regard to their possible mutual cooperation. The foundation of the research consists of the two case studies on regulatory frameworks in these countries. Given the fact that both countries are at different stages of the shale gas developing process, further attention is paid to country-specific aspects, which form the core of the current internal national debate. The reference to the regulation and internal affairs at the level of national states is then supplemented by the analysis of the current discussion on shale gas regulation at the level of the European Union.

 

The study was conducted within cooperation between the Energy Security Program at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, and Warsaw-based university Collegium Civitas. The study was supported by the Czech-Polish Forum.

 

In the Czech Republic, the discussion is led over a two-year moratorium on exploration, which the Ministry of the Environment has proposed most likely under the influence of a strongly polarized debate over shale gas and public opposition to hydraulic fracturing. In Poland, the debate primarily addresses the burden of taxation, infrastructure requirements and, to some extent, the physical security. The reference to the regulation and internal affairs at the level of national states is then supplemented by the analysis of the current discussion on shale gas regulation at the level of the European Union. Because of the highly competitive nature of the energy industry, researchers studying it face a series of problems. Many state bureaus and private companies are unwilling to share precise data, making it difficult to identify the long-term strategies of individual energy players. Furthermore, available data is not often completely conclusive or credible, whether due to its providers' limited reliability or because accurate data is missing. 

 

For that reason, special attention was paid to verifying all information by checking it against several sources. However, in some cases even very reliable and respected sources diverged considerably. In cases where data could not be fully verified, IIPS considered the information to be unverified. IIPS used dozens of open resources, including frequent reference of IEA materials, as well as interviews, discussions, and fieldwork.

 

Data collection took place in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Brussels, from January 2012 to October 2012.

 

The study is available here.