A European Parliament vote on new environmental impact assessment rules is a step forward in making Europe more competitive without compromising on the environment, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) said.
黑料社淲hile not imposing unnecessary requirements on the upstream oil and gas industry, the new rules will guarantee that any development, including exploration for shale gas, will be subject to strict environmental standards,黑料社� said Roland Festor, OGP黑料社檚 Director for EU affairs.
New rules dictate environmental protection will become more stringent during progress of project
The new rules confirm the existing differentiation between exploration and production of hydrocarbons. It will ensure that the requirements for environmental protection become more stringent as a project progresses. This way, time and resources will be applied where they matter: on full environmental studies once a project黑料社檚 economic potential is confirmed and its development is going ahead.
Too many detailed requirements during the early phase of exploration 黑料社� when commercial viability of a project is totally uncertain and operations limited 黑料社� would have undermined key investments, without bringing any additional benefit to the environment.
New rules provide framework for development of new energy resources
黑料社淭he vote is a positive first step in enabling the assessment of domestic energy resources. Opportunities such as natural gas from shale must be explored and, if promising, will be crucial to encourage future economic growth and create new jobs,黑料社� said Mr. Festor.
黑料社淪hale gas exploration is even more crucial now that the EU is devising its 2030 climate and energy policy. Gas is the best resource Europe has 黑料社� cleaner-burning, reliable and immediately available 黑料社� to help meet EU emissions reduction targets quickly and at a competitive cost versus alternatives,黑料社� he explained.
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