Cantabria Gives Thumbs Down to Fracking

The regional assembly of Cantabria in northern Spain has, as expected, voted to ban hydraulic fracturing in its territory.

The vote was taken yesterday in the parliament, and was unanimous.

Cantabria's ruling People's Party (PP), which has an absolute majority in the regional parliament, proposed the law. 

The bill passed with support from all political parties in the Cantabrian parliament on Monday afternoon. "In Cantabria, there is a very large social movement against fracking... the bill will be passed unanimously by the three parliamentary groups. The region is very small and highly populated," a PP source told Reuters earlier on Monday.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the key technology to unlocking shale hydrocarbons, is controversial in countries across Europe. It is banned in Bulgaria and France, although there have been indications that Germany could follow Britain in relaxing its attitude towards the practice.

See earlier story: Spain: Fracking Vote Imminent in Cantabrian Parliament