PhD student: Mrs Prof L.S. Reins

Promotor: Prof G. van Calster

Duration: 1/9/2012 - 30/6/2014

PhD defence: Leuven, 11/12/2015

Abstract:

The world wide Shale Gas Boom has reached the European Union and its Member States. With its new extraction technique it imposes new challenges for the Unions environmental regulatory system. Having massive impacts on all the environmental elements an integrated approach is needed in order to guarantee compliance with the high environmental standards in the European Union. However, the legislation in place at a European level is not appropriate to meet the emerging new challenges. The Member States have different approaches towards the topic: from banning the shale gas extraction to actually having issued dozens of drilling permits already. In addition, the new Energy Title XXI TFEU is likely to overrule environmental protection concerns by securing energy supply security. This also affects the individual Member States and their competence to determine their energy mix and extraction of resources.