Shale gas, belonging to the so-called `unconventional` gases, has triggered a revolution in the US gas market over the past decade, notably allowing the decoupling of gas prices from oil prices and drastically reducing US gas import needs. The US has pushed for the development of this source of energy, insisting that it will enable the continent to reduce its energy imports.

After local resistance and especially the movie Gasland, the national Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA) has finally announced to investigate on the impacts of shale gas exploration, notably on ground water. Given the fact that this happens only after 10-15 years of shale gas operations in the US, it is high time...

More and more, researchers across the globe warn that shale gas may have an even worse climate change impact than coal. Robert Howarth, professor at the Cornell University in Ithaca (US), reveals in an article published last November that shale gas wells leak substantial amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that is much more damaging that CO2. Moreover, extracting the gas involves a series of processes, including cracking the rock with hydraulic pressure or explosions (known as `fracking`), which involves the uses of a big amount of water and chemicals - some of which could be harmful not only for the soil, water and wildlife but also for human health.

In Europe the subject has only recently appeared on the political and energy agenda. Test drill permits for shale gas have been granted very discretely in several EU countries and the public opinion, very worried about the possible negative impact on its territories, started to voice its concerns; Several protests  took place across Europe. Given the growing interest in this new source of energy in several Member States and the lack of clarity about the very damaging impact it has on the environment, health and the climate, the Greens have decided to move the issue forward at European level.

On 12th and 13th April the group organised a meeting in the European Parliament with citizen movements, NGOs and associations to discuss the issue further. It was agreed that common action at EU level was necessary to ensure that an open debate takes place and that European citizens - who are exposed to the risks and damages that can result by the extraction of shale gas - are properly informed.

Following up on this, the Greens/EFA group has thus sent a letter to the EU Commissioners responsible for climate, environment and energy asking them for 1. A real open dialogue to take place with all interested parties 2. To ensure the European Chemical Agency receives all the information regarding the chemicals used by the companies; 3. To conduct a GHG impact assessment and an evaluation of the carbon footprint and 4. To support the moratorium demand by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, as long as the US Environmental Protection Agency`s study on environmental impact of shale gas drilling is not available.

Since then, some encouraging progress has been made. Before the summer break, France banned the use of hydraulic fracturing for the exploration of shale gas and shale oil. European NGOs are getting organised. Early September, the Co-operative Group (UK), Greenpeace, WWF and the Health and Environment Alliance asked the European Parliament`s Environment Committee to draft an own-initiative report that would examine the environmental and health impacts of shale gas extraction and where appropriate recommend the adaptation of EU legislation to mitigate these.

But the battle looks likely to be tough: At an informal Energy Council that will be organized in Wzcoctaw on 19th and 20th September, Poland - currently holding the Presidency of the EU - will call for the development of this source of energy in Europe in order to ensure its `Energy independence` and present it as a bridge fuel to clean energy; thus totally ignoring the increasing number of scientific studies warning against the serious impacts and putting a serious doubt on its capacity to represent the EU´s ambition to tackle climate change. EU Energy Commissioner Oettinger is also determined to push for the development of common EU on tapping shale-gas reserves and a group of MEPs has sent a letter to the whole Parliament expressing that placing a moratorium on the extraction and exploration of shale gas would be premature.

The debate is therefore to be continued in the next weeks to come: Our Green MEP José Bové - who on 16th June already went to Poland to discuss the issue with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and to alert the public opinion - will attend a conference organised in parallel by the Polish civil society.