Romanian PM Victor Ponta resigns from the support of a moratory on shale gas and gave concessions to US energy concern Chevron. Bucharest as Poland, UK, Germany and Lithuania among the EU states which support unconventional gas.
Economy convenience and energy security can motivate a radical change in energy policy. On Thursday 12/20, Romanian PM Victor Ponta approved the beginning of shale gas exploitation in Romania.
Romanian PM also approved a drilling concession to US energy concern Chevron, which is already involved in shale gas exploitation in Poland.
According to Romania-Insider, Ponta, who has been confirmed in last parliamentary election as the PM of a government formed by a coalition of socialists and liberals, told that shale gas exploitation's start will allow Bucharest to decrease gas prices for the population.
Nowadays, Romania pays 450 USD for a thousand of cm of gas, which Bucharest imports from Russian national gas major Gazprom.
Moreover, PM Ponta sentenced that the shale gas exploitation will allow Romania to decrease energy dependence on Russia, whose gas supplies cover a significant part of Bucharest's national energy need, as well as the 40% of the EU total need.
PM Ponta's decision on shale gas changes radically the previous position that socialist PM supported on May 2012. Once appointed as the Romanian PM, Ponta endorsed a moratory on shale exploitation, and announced the intention to foster energy relationships between Romania and Russia.
During last months shale gas has been the topic of an internal political dispute between PM Ponta and the moderate President Traian Basecu, who supported shale gas exploitation.
Moreover, Romanian President endorsed the EU gas supplies diversification policy the European Commission planed to carry gas from Azerbaijan directly to Europe and decrease EU gas dependence on Russia.
By his decision, PM Ponta put Romania among the EU states which supports unconventional gas exploitation, as Poland, the UK, Germany and Lithuania, where another centre-left government endorsed shale gas.
After the European Parliament rejected a shale gas moratory's proposal by the Greens and LibDems thanks to the contrary vote of the EPP and the Conservatives, the European Commission started a public consultation on shale gas, in order to involve the population and EU local communities in the unconventional gas' debate.
Matteo Cazzulani
