Brussels, 07/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Caught in the crossfire between supporters and opponents of shale gas, the European Commission has not fully shut the door on this non-conventional fossil fuel, a source of great controversy over its possible impact on the environment.
Climate Change Commissioner Connie Hedegaard is not keen on a moratorium on the extraction of shale gas. Speaking at the presentation of a Eurobarometer survey (see related article) in Brussels on Friday 7 October, she said that she was not advocating a wait-and-see policy. Experts were currently being consulted to see if there already was legislation to cover the situation, she said. There was, she said, a whole legal armoury, though other texts may be necessary, she acknowledged. Not many shale gas projects will be launched in Europe, she warned.
The lead commissioner on this issue is her colleague at Energy, Günther Oettinger. He has already called for joint EU standards to be adopted and is due to bring forward a proposal sometime in 2012. (EH/transl.rt)