Senate votes to ban hydraulic fracturation

Senators voted 167 to 152 for the government's bill to ban the contentious fracking technique

Members of France’s upper house voted 167 to 152 yesterday to stop energy companies using the contentious method of energy exploration.

The bill has provoked strong opposition from left-wing members of parliament who believe the text proposed by the government doesn’t go far enough to stop shale gas exploitation. The communist party senator Michel Billout, criticised the government’s bill saying that it effectively “legalised subterranean gas extraction under the guise of scientific research.”

On Wednesday a cross bench report by deputies in the assemblée nationale failed to reach an agreement between the different political parties.

Both co-authors of the report came to different conclusions over the future of shale gas exploration. The UMP deputy François-Michel Gonnot suggested that France should “leave the door open” to future exploitation of natural gas reserves but agreed with the socialist MP Philippe Martin that the controversial hydraulic fracturation or ‘fracking’ method should be banned.

Left-wing members of parliament have said that ‘leaving the door open’ is an open invitation to energy companies to continue to seek ‘fracking’ permits.

The adopted bill included an amendment proposed by the senate finance committee, which overturned the lower house’s decision to outlaw shale gas research across France. The modification to the text will give energy companies two months to declare the technique they use to extract shale gas.

However it was highlighted in a report by Le Monde that energy companies that were awarded the drilling permits have used, or planned to use the fracking technique. The method was prohibited under the bill presented to the assemblée nationale last month. The environment minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said in a statement to senators yesterday “the purpose of this bill is to make public that hydraulic fracturation is not the only known technique for the exploration and exploitation of shale gas.”

The minister reassured the upper house that “the government has taken measures to put an end to the exploration of shale gas.” Kosciusko-Morizet comments came just one week after her cabinet colleague and energy minister Eric Besson declared himself in favour of exploiting shale gas reserves.

The conflicting opinions from ministers highlight the sense of chaos that has surrounded recent debates on the policy. With Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP party visibly divided over the topic, many deputies believe that shale gas could become a key election issue ahead of next year’s legislative elections.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of shale gas will be particularly felt in the Var region where research permits for a drilling site outside Brignoles could be reinstated, despite widespread opposition from local politicians and residents alike.

Tom Donnelly