Poland: No Need For EU-Wide Shale Gas Sector Regulation
news.morningstar.com
WARSAW -(Dow Jones)- Exploration and production of hydrocarbons, including from unconventional sources such as shale gas, are sufficiently regulated and the possibility of pan-European Union regulation of this sector isn't provided for in the Lisbon Treaty, Poland'sTreasury Ministry said in a statement Monday.
Outside the U.S., Poland is the first place where companies are making a serious effort to develop shale gas, which Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called the country's "great chance," as it could loosen the central European country's dependence on Russia for its gas, create tens of thousands of jobs, and fill state coffers.
The ministry, which holds stakes in Polish energy companies with concessions to explore for shale gas in the central European country, was responding to an idea floated Friday by European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger to draft EU-wide safety and environmental rules for the sector, which is still in its infancy outside the U.S.
"There is no need to introduce new regulations," the ministry said. "What is necessary is taking care to ensure compliance with existing regulations and monitoring exploration work, so that it corresponds with existing standards and requirements."
News agency AFP quoted Oettinger as saying he hoped to bring some proposals to member states "in the spring of next year."
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Election 2011 - PM tries to save face after Greenpeace storms stage
thenews.pl
The Greenpeace activist leapt onto the platform brandishing a protest banner.
“We want clean energy.”, the message proclaimed.
Environmentalists are concerned that the government’s decision to go ahead with a nuclear power station programme, and the recent discovery of shale gas deposits in Poland, could harm both human health and the environment.
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