Parliament wants cautious approach to 'fracking', with insistence that operators pay for damage or pollution.

MEPs cautious over shale gas

Europe has to rely on imports of gas –

some say shale gas deposits  could cut that dependency by 40%.

They want constant monitoring of sites  with more transparency by operators

and that they pay  for any pollution or damage.

We need to look at the specificities  of the hydraulic extraction process

If this water is mixed with certain chemicals,  what will happen underground?

Shale gas is trapped inside rock deposits,  typically at great depth.

Operators drill down  to the shale level then drill along.

They inject water mixed with sand and  chemicals at high pressure,

which fractures the rock,  hence the name 'fracking'.

But a report for the Commission  suggests environmental impact,

water contamination, pollution and  land-grabbing by energy companies.

as long as we haven’t been able to  set sufficient standards.

I’m quite doubtful if fracking can at all  be done in a responsible way

close to a water preservation area,  for instance.

MEPs are aware of  public opposition to 'fracking'.

Demonstrations led to a moratorium  in France until is its safety is proved.

But Europe is sitting on up to 14 trillion  cubic meters of extractable shale gas,

with especially large deposits  around the Baltic Sea and in Austria.

We should proceed with this for sure,  we shouldn’t abstain from this,

because the world is  going to open this shale boom

and Europe shouldn’t  stand on the sidelines.

MEPs want to ensure fracking  is completely safe before proceeding,

but it’s already happening  in several EU countries.

With claims that US exploration  has brought down world prices,