regulations available that can guarantee that hydraulic fracturing is used safely and is not more risky than the exploration of conventional natural gas. Other factors differ from country to country.  France, Poland, and Ukraine may potentially become energy exporters, a particularly strong incentive to develop the industry.  The countries of the former Soviet bloc are more dependent on Russian supplies than Western European countries like France.  This gives them greater interest in developing the industry to reduce that dependency.  Green movements are not equally developed if we compare for example Germany with Poland. I would also not give up on getting out the message, explaining that shale gas is certainly more environmentally friendly than coal, safer than nuclear, and politically safer than oil. Realistically, countries tend to act, when free, on their interests. Beyond the energy security and political independence aspects, there is simple economics. In the current economic mess that Europe is in, it could use anything that would reduce its need to import anything, reduce the cost of energy that is factored into the price of anything that is manufactured, and creates jobs, most of them well-paying.  It is a no-brainer.  I think that the French civil service bureaucracy in particular is very aware of this raison d'etat.  Its only problem is how to pass it past the public by stealth or by convincing it.  It is usually better at doing the first... The most significant factor in my opinion will be local success. Once one country, say