EU Energy Commissioner Wades into Fracking Debate

The EU Commissioner for Energy has commented that no decisions should be taken on hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” for ten years.

Gúnther Oettinger made the comment during a visit to Ireland last week in response to a serious of questions from Senator Paschal Mooney at a meeting of Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport Energy and Communications.

The Leitrim Observer reports that in a series of questions submitted by Senator Mooney to the Commissioner about the EU Commissions Policy on fracking Commissioner Gúnther Oettinger replied that he believed no decisions should be taken until the environmental impact of fracking was established and that could take between five and ten years.

The Energy Commissioner also commented that the extraction of shale gas could be chemical free in a number of years.