WSJ: Polish Cabinet Reaches Shale Gas Compromise

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has referred to shale gas as Poland’s “great chance.” But until recently, the Polish government has not acted to demonstrate that nurturing the shale gas industry was a priority.

It appears that the hydrocarbons law the government is set to publish in November is the result of heated, contentious, yet productive discussions between the government’s many strong-willed ministers. Inter-ministerial wrangling, which has been going on since April, has yielded some very fruitful legislative solutions, people familiar with the talks said.

This week, the focus has been on taxes, but the November legislation is going to take a more holistic approach to Poland’s regulatory environment, overlooked so far, which is likely to please license-holders. Each ministry will contribute something to the effort.  MORE