Brussels, 18/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The proposal of the European Commission aiming to establish a framework for assessing risks related to the exploration and extraction of shale gas is expected for 22 January, but the form it will take has not yet been decided upon, Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, confirmed in Brussels on Wednesday 18 December (see EUROPE 10947).
Should guidelines be presented, or a new specific legislative act? The Commission has still not made its mind up. “The proposal will be on the table on 22 January with the Energy/Climate 2030 package. But I cannot tell you what it will look like”, said the commissioner, who was asked about the proposal on the sidelines of the press conference on the air quality legislative package.
At the last Environmental Council under the Lithuanian Presidency on 13 December, Maciej Grabowski, the new Polish minister for the environment, told the press that a coalition of member states may put up a united front against a legislative proposal. When asked about this at the time, the commissioner told the press: “Guidelines or legislative proposal, nothing has yet been decided”. (AN/transl.fl)