Shale Gas Controversy at EU Energy Summit
SPIEGEL ONLINE claims that a controversy over shale gas has emerged at the EU Energy Summit.
Europe's leaders want to demonstrate a united front at the EU energy summit. But the issue of the exploitation of unconventional gas resources is causing disharmony.
Brussels has put the exploration of new shale gas deposits on the agenda shortly before the meeting,
The issue appeared for the first time in a draft final declaration for the energy summit dated January 28th. Europe’s potential for a possible drilling of unconventional gas and oil reserves should be calculated to increase the security of supply, according to paragraph seven of the draft document.
However the drilling methods associated with shale gas are controversial and several countries have protested.
On 31 January, representatives of Belgium, Ireland and Sweden opposed the inclusion of such wording in the final declaration. Their appeal took place in the so-called General Affairs Council, the last meeting of Europe and Foreign Ministers before the energy summit. However, the paragraph is still included in a draft dated February 4th.
From comments on the draft it emerges that this paragraph was included in the draft by a Polish initiative. The government in Warsaw is supporting the drilling of unconventional gas resources in Poland with a vengeance. It hopes that increased drilling in Poland will make it more independent from the energy hegemony of Russia.
According to diplomatic circles, France and Germany are supporting the Polish advance. In both countries, projects for drilling of unconventional gas resources have caused angry protests.
The German government has been primarily criticised because environmental risks are not yet sufficiently explored, although Exxon Mobil has been carried out in five test wells and plans two more by the end of the year.
In France, the government of Nicholas Sarkozy was criticised because it allowed test drilling in March 2010 without informing the relevant local and regional authorities. (Read More HERE)
The final draft is currently being discussed by the member states at the EU energy summit Friday.
EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has come out on support of the Polish initiative. "Shale gas will not replace conventional gas," he told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "It will be complementing it."
Read the Spiegel Online article HERE