EurActiv Logo
Actualités & débats européens
- dans votre langue -
Click here for EU news »
EurActiv.com Réseau

TOUTES LES RUBRIQUES

Le gaz de schiste agite les élections présidentielles polonaises

Version imprimable
Send by email
Publié 28 juin 2010, mis à jour 23 décembre 2011

Le favori des élections présidentielles polonaises, Bronisław Komorowski, a déclaré le 27 juin que Varsovie ne pouvait pas signer l'accord gazier très attendu avec Moscou si elle trouvait suffisamment de gaz de schiste sur son territoire.

 

Poles will choose their new head of state next Sunday in a second, decisive round of voting in which Komorowski, candidate of the ruling centrist Civic Platform (PO), is competing against the main opposition leader, Jarosław Kaczyński of the centre-reight.

During the first live debate between the two candidates after the first round of the election, Kaczyński criticised the gas deal with Russia for 10 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas a year until 2037, which the PO-led government had negotiated.

"It is very risky to sign deals for more than 20 years," Kaczyński said of the agreement, which still needs to be formally signed before it can be enacted.

Poland faces an annual shortfall of some 2.5 billion cubic metres of gas without the deal, but Komorowski said during the debate that Warsaw was eyeing shale gas as an alternative.

"Simultaneously, we need to conduct these negotiations about natural gas and search for shale gas,"  he said.

"If we find out that we have enough shale gas, we want to have the right to renegotiate the deal with Russia or maybe we will step aside from it."

Poland's first shale drilling will end in several months' time and it will take several years to fully determine how much shale gas there is in Poland, Komorowski also said.

Poland relies on imports for three-quarters of its annual gas consumption. Russia is its main supplier. Diversification has been high on the agenda of consecutive governments.

Prochaines étapes : 
  • 4 July: Second round of Polish presidential elections.
Contexte : 

Bronisław Komorowski, the candidate of the ruling centre-right Civic Platform party, finished ahead of his conservative rival Jarosław Kaczyński after presidential polls held on 20 June. As neither candidate secured a majority, a run-off will take place on 4 July (EurActiv 21/06/10).

Shale gas, produced from layers of sedimentary rock that are difficult to tap into with conventional technology, was recently developed in the USA and made the country self-sufficient in gas, even bringing down world prices.

In recent statements, Gazprom officials have shown disdain for shale gas and cited the possible negative environmental impact of developing such technologies.

Specialists see the strategic importance of developing shale gas in Europe as a means of reducing the continent’s dependence on Russian imports. Some have argued that developing shale gas is even more important for Ukraine, a country which has no gas resources of its own but is rich in coal (EurActiv 10/03/10).

A recent conference focused on the future of shale gas in Poland (EurActiv 08/06/10).

According to estimates, Poland's shale gas reserves stand at 1.4 to three trillion cubic metres, enough to satisfy the country's needs for the next 100-200 years. However, those resources have not yet been proven.

More in this section

Publicité

Vidéos

Video General News

Euractiv Sidebar Video Player for use in section aware blocks.

Video General Promoted 4

Euractiv Sidebar Video Player for use in section aware blocks.

Publicité

Publicité