PvdA Gunning for ‘no’ to Shale Gas
THE HAGUE, 17/09/13 - Everything is pointing towards Labour (PvdA) pronouncing a definitive ‘no’ to shale gas in the near future, according to a report in Monday’s Het Financieele Dagblad newspaper.
The position of the party has recently shifted. The PvdA said until recently it would vote for drilling ‘providing it can be clean and safe’. Meanwhile, a research study has been tabled, drawn up for the government, which says the risks of shale gas extraction are ‘manageable’. But PvdA MP Jan Vos now says that "on the basis of this report, we will not vote for trial drillings.” Without the PvdA’s support, there is no basis of political support in parliament and the trial drillings will not go ahead. Formally, the PvdA has not yet showed its colours. The party still wants to await the outcome of the hearings that are taking place in the Lower House on Thursday at its own request. The PvdA is also officially still awaiting the reaction of an advisory body (the MER Commission) to the research carried out by Witteveen+Bos. |