On 27 January 2012 the European Commission published the Final Report on Unconventional Gas in Europe, addressing the licensing and permitting procedures for shale gas projects. Based on a sample of four Member States (France, Germany, Poland and Sweden) the study concludes that there are no significant gaps in coverage in the current EU legislative framework, at least for regulating the current level of shale gas activities.

As regards possible areas for improvement of national regulatory frameworks the study especially considers it as problematic that currently public participation in the authorisation process for exploration projects is often rather limited. It also stresses that the application of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive should not be linked to gas production thresholds alone and it emphasises that regulations should provide legal certainty for investors.