France engulfed in new row over shale gas
France engulfed in new row over shale gas
An outspoken French minister sparked a fierce row within his own fractured government this week by suggesting France should exploit the country’s immense shale gas resources in an environmentally friendly way. Old wounds have been reopened.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault moved to defuse a row over whether France should exploit the country's shale gas reserves on Thursday after one of his ministers had reignited the divisive debate.
.Ayrault was forced to step in after an old row over whether to tap France’s wealthy reserves of shale gas was reignited this week and once again revealed the French government to be more fractured than ever. The PM insisted however "there was only one government policy" and that a 2011 ban on the drilling for shale gas would remain in place
His statement came after a claim by the outspoken industry minister Arnaud Montebourg that France should exploit its resources of shale gas in an “environmentally friendly” way.
http://www.thelocal.fr/20130711/france-engulfed-in-new-row-over-shale-gas