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First EU debate on shale gas

The scope of the environmental law and the exchange of views on the European experiences in the search for unconventional gas deposits were the topics of the first meeting of the working group on shale gas. During the EU debate, Poland presented its experiences related to the search for this resource.

The first sitting of the ad hoc technical working group for shale gas operating within the Environmental Policy Research Group (EPRG), held on January 27 in Brussels, was attended by the representatives of the Directorate-General for the Environment of the European Commission and, on behalf of the Polish party, by Piotr Otawski, Deputy General Director for Environmental Protection, and Maciej Woźniak, Advisor to the Minister of the Environment.

Commenting on the course of the meeting, Piotr Otawski, Deputy General Director for Environmental Protection, said: "The search for shale gas commenced in Poland is implemented with the observance of all environmental requirements pursuant to the law of the European Union. All aspects of gas search analysed to date indicate that the process is conducted in accordance with the law and does not pose a threat to the environment. We agree with the European Union that the currently binding European law ensures exceptionally efficient environmental protection during the search for shale gas.

Maciej Woźniak, Advisor to the Minister of the Environment, added: We have welcomed the creation of the working group. We hope for an exchange of experiences with other Member States that have been familiar with unconventional hydrocarbon resources excavating technologies for many years. We are aware of the fact that in Germany fracking has been implemented since 1955 and hydrofracking at least since 1976, and there have been no problems signalled during all those years. We have asked our colleagues from Germany to share their experience in detail at the next meeting.

At present, many institutions prepare and successively publish reports assessing the relevance of the currently binding environmental provisions relating to the search for shale gas, an example of which is the report of the European Commission which has been published today.

Together with regional directorates, the General Directorate for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ) constitutes a network for environmental protection in Poland, responsible e.g. for issuing environmental decisions for investments and managing the Natura 2000 sites. GDOŚ is also going to implement the greatest European Union project focusing on the environmental monitoring of the process of search for shale gas, by means of analysing in detail the impact of the search for shale gas on all major components of the environment: water, air or protected species.

The Environmental Policy Research Group (EPRG) originated from the 5th Environmental Action Programme of the European Community "Towards Sustainability" of 1993. Its meetings are attended e.g. by the representatives of the European Union and its Member States. It is a forum for the debate on the most important environmental issues, which enables the development of mutual understanding and the exchange of views at an early stage of discussing matters - before the official suggestions of the European Commission.

Poland has been issuing concessions for the search for shale gas since 2007. To date, 109 concessions have been issued, and 22 bore holes have been drilled.

Source: Polish Ministry of the Environment