Croatian government puts forward bill banning mass-scale fracking

Bill put forward banning mass-scale fracking

ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) – The government sent the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation Bill to parliament on Thursday, banning mass-scale hydraulic fracturing.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a drilling method involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurised liquid. This technique is used to extract petroleum or natural gas from the earth and is controversial from the aspect of environmental protection.

The bill provides for the transparency of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation procedures, environmental protection measures, environmental impact assessments, and the inclusion of the public.

The bill opens up the possibility of establishing a development company to promote the use of the geothermal potential of Croatia with a view to increasing the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption.

The government also amended the list of legal entities of special interest to the state to include the Fund for the post-earthquake Reconstruction of the City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje County, and Zagreb County, and the Fund for the Reconstruction of Vukovar.