Some Legal Aspects of Shale Gas

Ovidiu-Horia Maican

Some countries with large reserves intend to promote shale gas production, in order to reduce their dependency on imported gas. Shale gas will be an important new aspect in the world energy scene, with many effects. European Union wants secure and affordable sources of energy. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel and a vital component of European Union's energy strategy. One of the most important aspects is that gas produces significantly cleaner energy than other fossil fuels. From a legal point of view, extraction of oil and natural gas is one of the most highly-regulated activities. In European Union, the regulation of shale gas activities is different if we compare with United States.  United States has a complete framework of federal and state regulation of shale gas extraction. More than that, these regulations have evolved in order to respond to the United States shale gas boom. Legal regime of shale gas extraction in every member state of European Union must put together national and European Union regulations in this field of activity. Methodology: The analysis is based on a survey of relevant national legal frameworks. The purpose of the article is not to provide an assessment of the applicable legal framework but to analyse how the current legal framework is applied in practice and to point to possible areas for further review. Keywords: shale gas, directives, national legislation, environment, civil liability.

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