Iata stadiul EIA - un rezumat la zi de la FWW Next week Wednesday, Commission, rapporteur MEP Zanoni and the Lithuanian presidency are sitting together in Strasbourg to push for a final agreement on the EIA Directive. A lot of progress has been made, but some major stumbling blocks remain. And one of the major obstacles is ... AM 126 on a mandatory EIA for all Unconventional Fossil Fuel exploration and extraction. The Council/Member States are divided on this point and are split in 5 camps: Strongly opposed - Shale promoters: Poland, UK, Romania and Lithuania Quite opposed: Sweden ... not because they are against the amendment as such, but mainly because they do no want to open up any of the Annexes to changes. In favour: Belgium, Spain, Denmark ... i.e. mainly countries where shale gas is unlikely to ever boom Undecided: France (not clear what they are thinking), Germany (mandatory EIA is in the CDU-SPD coalition agreement, but not sure whether they want to push this at EU level) The net result of these 5 camps is that the known Shale Promoters - with some support from other Member States - have a blocking minority in the Council. We have clearly communicated to rapporteur MEP Zanoni that the amendment must be integrally accepted and that we do not accept any further weakening of the text. Our line has been that wed rather have noting than some weak compromise, which would e.g. exclude exploration from a mandatory EIA. If this no-brainer proposal is not adopted, it is a clear signal that Big Oil and Gas has enough strong support in some Member States to make sure shale gas development can go ahead in a completely unregulated fashion in the EU. At least, the situation will be clear at that point and we can pour more energy than ever into a campaign for a complete ban on fracking and all unconventional fossil fuel digging in Europe! It is unlikely that a compromise will be achieved on Wednesday. Some more discussion may happen on Friday during the Environment Council on Friday 13 December. The negotiations may proceed in 2014 under the Greek presidency.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Dec 2013 16:40:55 +0000
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