Activities of Fiona HALL related to 2011/2309(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on industrial, energy and other aspects of shale gas and oil PDF (185 KB) DOC (103 KB)
Amendments (32)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
B. whereas according to the EU treaties, Member States have the right to determine their own energy mix,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that various estimates of shale gas resources in Europe have been made, including by the US Energy Information Administration; recognises that, although these estimates are, by their very nature, imprecise, they point to the existence of a largconsiderable indigenous energy resource, not all of which might be economically viable to extract; notes that most of Europe's oil shale reserves are concentrated in Estonia and that other sources of unconventional oil have yet to be explored in Europe on a wider scale;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Urges Member States to pursue an energy security strategy aimed at diversifying their potential energy sources away from an exclusive reliance on fossil fuels, whether conventional or unconventional, and at promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Observes that consumption of natural gas is currently on the rise; recognises, therefore, the crucialimportant role of worldwide shale gas production in ensuring energy security and diversity in the longshort to medium term, including in Europe; is aware that domestic production of shale gas will contribute to security of supply, bearing in mind Member States' dependence on natural gas imports from third countries; stresses, however, that it is crucial to adopt other long-term security- of-supply measures and policies, such as improving energy efficiency, ensuring and reducing energy use, increasing significantly the uptake of renewable energy sources, putting in place sufficient gas storage facilitieand balancing capabilities for renewable energy and gas, diversifying gas supplies and transit routes and building reliable partnerships with supplier, transit and consumer countries;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that a fully-functioning, interconnected and integrated internal EU energy market is also essential, including with a view to taking full advantage of possible shale gas production in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to pursue this objective vigorously, in particular by ensuring a smooth transition toand application of the requirements of the EU third energyinternal energy market package and the proposals contained in the energy infrastructure package, with a view to harmonising and fully liberalising European energy markets by 2014;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is of the view that developing shale gas in the EU willmay in the short to medium term help achieve the EU's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80- 95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, which is the basis of the Energy Roadmap for 2050;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Agrees with the Commission that gas will be critsignificalnt for the transformation of the energy system, as stated in the above- mentioned Roadmap, since it represents a quick, temporary and cost- efficient way of reducing reliance on other, dirtier fossil fuels before moving to fully sustainable low-carbon power generation, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions; believes that shale gas could, as a ‘bridge fuel’, play a critical role in this, particularly in those Member States that currently use large amounts of coal in power generation;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Given the lack of comprehensive European data on the carbon footprint of shale gas, calls on the Joint Research Centre of the Commission to swiftly finalise its full life-cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from shale gas extraction and production with view to correctly accounting for them in the future;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Given that fugitive methane emissions will grow considerably with increased shale gas exploration and production activities in the EU, and that these emissions are currently not accounted for in the Union's flagship climate policy, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), calls on the Commission when adjusting Directive 2003/87/EC to take into account fugitive methane emissions and the impact they will have on overall EU greenhouse gas emissions;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9 c. Urges the Commission and the Member States to bring forward legislative proposals – akin to the air quality regulations proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency in April 2012 – to render the use of a completion combustion device ('green completions') mandatory for all shale gas wells in the EU to reduce the fugitive methane emissions linked to shale gas extraction;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Remarks also that certain forms of renewable energy – for example, wind power – are not constantvariable and need to be backed up or balanced by a reliable and flexible energy sourcetechnologies; expresses the view that natural gas – including shale gas – could serve that purposebe one of the options to serve that purpose together with better interconnection, energy storage and demand management; recognises, however, that without carbon capture and storage (CCS), gas may, in the long term, be limited to such a back-up and balancing rolemay not be deployed in view of EU's 2050 decarbonisation targets;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Calls on the Commission to analyse the economics of CCS for gas in order to speed up the development and deployment of this technology; calls also on the Commission to examine what impact CCS technology will have on the flexibility of gas power generation and therefore on its role as back-up for renewable energy sources;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission, in line with the EU Energy Roadmap 2050 strategy, to evaluate the impact of and prospects for unconventional gas in the EU, whilst recognising that the extent of unconventional gas use in the EU will ultimately be decided by EU long-term climate policy needs and the market;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that the massive increase in US shale gas production has been supported by an established industrial environment, including sufficient numbers of rigs, the necessary manpower and an experienced and well-equipped service industry; notes that, in the EU, it will take time for the necessary service sector to build up adequate capacity and for companies to acquire the necessary equipment and experience to support a high level of shale gas production with its related environmental protection, which is also likely to contribute to higher costs in the short term; encourages cooperation between relevant EU and US companies with a view to reducing costs; believes that expectations about the pace of shale gas development in the EU should be realistic;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Member States interested in developing shale gas to carefully examine their current legislation and introduce the necessary safeguards to ensure that a robust framework for safe and sustainable shale gas exploration and production is in place before any operations can begin; to put in place stringent requirements for industry to only use best available technology (BAT) with regard to well integrity and casing, water treatment, methane capture, etc; and to introduce the necessary skills required into their mainstream education and training systems, in order to prepare the necessary skilled labour force;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines the importance of supporting the development of the shale gas industry by establishing the necessary infrastructure, particularly in terms of pipelines and roads, while recalling that energy efficiency gains may make additional infrastructure unnecessary and unjustifiable economically;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the possible long-term economic benefieffects of shale gas, including as regards the tourism and agriculture industries and employment opportunities;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that the EU's energy and climate policyies needs to recognise and tackle the potential investment barriers to shale gasustainable lower- and zero-emissions energy developments in the EU;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for further research and development into tools and technologies, including CCS, to support and enhance thpossible sustainable and safe development of unconventional gas;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Notes the technological developments in Austria, where the industry is proposing the use of fracking fluids containing only water, sand and cornstarch; recommends that other Member States and the Commission examine the possibility of extracting shale gas without the use of chemicals, and calls for further research and development into such techniques and/or practices that would mitigate potential impacts on the environment;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Member States to ensure they put in place a robust regulatory regime and the necessary administrative and monitoring resources for thsustainable development of shale gas activities;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the current licensing procedure for shale gas exploration is regulated by general mining or hydrocarbon legislation; expresses the view that the regulatory framework in the EU for early exploration is adequatexploration should be further examined with the view to strengthening it; further notes that large-scale extraction of shale gas may require a comprehensive adaptation of the EU's environmental legislative framework to cover the specificities of unconventional fossil fuel extraction; in particular, calls on the Commission to examine whether the REACH Regulation is adequate to ensure transparent disclosure of chemicals specifically used in hydraulic fracturing;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the importance of transparency and fully consulting the public, particularly in the context of the introduction of a new approach in gas exploration; points out that, in certain Member States, there is a lack of public consultation in the authorisation phase; calls on the Member States to evaluate their legislation to see whether proper account is taken of this aspect;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Expresses the view that those Member States undertaking shale gas projects should adopt a one-stop-shop approach tosafety case approach for shale gas exploration and production activities whereby authorisation and, licensing and the examinainspection of compliance with safety and environmental regulations, which is the usual practice in certain Member States for all energy projects are all dealt with separately by responsible authorities, as this is the proven best practice in certain Member States for other oil and gas activities, such as offshore drilling;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on public authoritithe Commission and Member States without delay to check and, if necessary, improve regulatory frameworks in order to ensure their adequacy for shale gas projects, especially with a view to being prepared for possible future commercial-scale production in Europe;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Is well aware that public attitudes to shale gas development vary between the Member States; calls for better provision of public information relating to shale gas operations in a transparent and objective manner, and supports the creation of portals providing access to a wide range of public information on shale gas operations; urges companies extracting shale gas in the EU to provide, prior to drilling, full information on their activities, including public disclosure of the chemicals they intend to use in hydraulic fracturing;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Emphasises the importance of transparent corporate governance of oil and gas companies involved in shale gas and oil shale activity;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses the importance of applying the best available technologies and the best operational practices in shale gas exploration and production and of continuously improving technologies and practices;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Highlights the need for minimumhigh safety and environmental standards and regular inspections at safety- critical stages of well construction and hydraulic fracturing; stresses, in particular, that operators should reduce flaring and venting and should, where possible, recover gas capture fugitive methane emissions, and re-use or treat waste water;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Urges the exchange of best practices and information between the EU, the US and othe USr countries; in particular, encourages the pairing of European, US and USother cities and municipalities which have discovered shale gas; stresses the importance of the transfer of knowledge about shale gas development from industry to local communities;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Urges the shale gas and oil industry to employ uniformly the highest environmental and safety standards wherever in the world companies are operating; calls on the Commission to examine what mechanisms might be appropriate to ensure that EU-based companies operate globally according to the highest standards; believes corporate responsibility should also be a key driver in this area and that Member State licensing regimes could take global incidents involving companies into consideration when awarding licences, provided these incidents are accompanied by thorough reviews;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Recalls that the ‘polluter pays’ principle wouldshall always apply to shale gas operations and that companies would beshall be fully liable for any direct or indirect damage they might cause; urges the Commission to bring forward proposals to specifically include hydraulic fracturing and other activities related to shale gas extraction in the Environmental Liability Directive;