Is the Fracking Lobby Setting the EU Energy Agenda?

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A European expert panel on unconventional hydrocarbons has been almost entirely taken over by the fracking industry reveals a new investigation by Friends of the Earth (FoE) Europe and the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO).

The advisory group, set up by the European Commission, is tasked with assessing ongoing fracking projects in Europe along with the safety and appropriateness of other unconventional technologies. Of those not employed by the Commission, over 70 percent of the panel have financial ties to the frackingย industry.

The panelโ€™s five leading chairmen include two executives from shale firms Cuadrilla and ConocoPhillips, two officials from pro-shale ministries in the UK and Poland, and a director of IFP Energies nouvelles, who is also an advisor to the Shale Gas Europe lobby group.

Less than 10 percent of those on the panel represent civil society and environmentalists. And two thirds of the academics and research organisations involved have links to the shaleย industry.

In-Houseย Lobby

Shell, Total, ExxonMobil and GDF Suez are also represented on what has been dubbed โ€œan in-house shale gas lobbyโ€ on EU energyย strategy.


Graphic provided by Corporate Europe Observatory

Panel members openly recognise that the groupโ€™s intent is to prime future EU policy-making on shaleย gas.

According to Grzegorz Pieล„kowski, a member of the Polish Geological Institute and panel chair, โ€œthe establishment of the Advisory group [or Network] is a step in reversing the course of an unfavourable or suspicious attitude regarding shale gas, to a more pragmatic and, ultimately, friendly one.โ€

The aim is to โ€œpersuade the European Union that the much needed production of these indigenous resources would be a commercialย success.โ€

Walkย Out

FoE Europe had originally joined the expert panel to highlight the dangers of shale gas development to citizens and the environment. But, after it saw that the pro-shale agenda was dominating the group, the NGO decided to walk out.

โ€œWhile a โ€˜science and technology networkโ€™ on unconventional fossil fuels sounds objective, itโ€™s a complete faรงade,โ€ said Antoine Simon, shale gas campaigner at FoE Europe. โ€œWe refuse to let the name of our organisation be used to greenwash an industry-drivenย initiative.โ€

FoE Europe and CEO are now calling for the advisory network to be recognised as a front for industry lobbying and, therefore,ย scrapped.

Back Doorย Policy

โ€œThe European Commission should seriously question whether the privileged access enjoyed by companies causing climate change is conflicting with the public interest,โ€ theyย argue.

Pascoe Sabido, researcher and campaigner at CEO said: โ€œWhile the Commission is crowing from the rooftops about its climate ambitions as we get closer to crucial climate talks in Paris, its cosy relationship with the fossil fuel industry ensures fracking is being ushered in through the backย door.โ€

โ€œThis not only smacks of hypocrisy, but it ignores the millions calling for an end to fracking and for fossil fuels to be left in theย ground.โ€

@kylamandel

Photo: Justin Woolford viaย Flickr

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Kyla is a freelance writer and editor with work appearing in the New York Times, National Geographic, HuffPost, Mother Jones, and Outside. She is also a member of the Society for Environmental Journalists.

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