BNE: Foreign investors threaten Poland again over shale gas regulation

Investors are continuing their battle for greater regulatory breaks for the Polish shale gas industry, complaining in a new lobbying report that the legislation currently being drawn up ignores many of their demands.

With yet another version of the proposed regulations with the cabinet, the Polish Exploration and Production Industry Organization (OPPPW) - the industry's main lobby group - says that much is lacking in the latest proposals, according to Reuters, and drags out several foreign investors to threaten that they could leave unless they get their way. However, just how enthusiastic Warsaw remains is also a question now.

Warsaw has been fighting with investors for at least a couple of years over regulatory and tax regimes for the exploration and production of shale gas reserves thought to be amongst the largest in Europe. On the one hand, the government says it's extremely keen to develop that potential to increase energy security. On the other, Poland is one of the few states in Europe to be ploughing full steam ahead with the controversial fracking technique used to extract shale gas.  MORE