Op-Ed on the merits of British-Polish cooperation on shale gas

Op-Ed on the merits of British-Polish cooperation on shale gas:

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Shale gas has become one of the most polarizing issues in Europe-wide debates on energy policy. Technology and its impact on the environment are at the heart of controversy. Compatibility with the policy of de-carbonisation is another sticking point.

In effect, some EU members, like France and Bulgaria, decided to ban so-called fracking, the principal method to access low-permeable shale deposits. France introduced a moratorium in 2011, Bulgaria followed suit in 2012. Europe’s economic powerhouse, Germany, did not say “no” to shale gas in principle, so far choosing to tread lightly and largely defer the issue to regional governments. Others are hesitating, as if waiting for the issue to play out by itself.

Against this patchwork of positions and policies, Poland and the United Kingdom clearly stand out. Both countries are indeed becoming a European shale avant-garde, or rather the first members of a coalition of those willing to go after shale-trapped natural gas (Lithuania and Romania are believed to be the next possible signings)."

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