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BERLIN — Germany’s ministers for energy and the environment are seeking a ban on shale gas and oil drilling over the next seven years because of worries that the practice could pollute drinking water and damage the environment.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government had planned to introduce legislation in the autumn to regulate hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, bringing an end to a de facto moratorium on the practice.
But Barbara Hendricks, minister for the environment and a member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the governing coalition, said at a news conference on Friday that a framework of key points on the legislation agreed to with Sigmar Gabriel, the economy and energy minister, would result in the “strictest regulations we have ever set.â€
“There will be no fracking for economic purposes in Germany in the near future,†Ms. Hendricks said. But she said that shale drilling could be used for exploration.
Ms. Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats have yet to weigh in on the proposal by the energy and environment ministers.
Opposition to fracking runs deep in Germany. Worries that shale extraction can pollute drinking water and damage the environment have turned public opinion against the practice, even though many people are facing rising electricity prices, a result of Germany’s decision to wean itself off nuclear energy and focus more on renewable sources.
Yet business leaders also worry that Germany risks jeopardizing its position as an industrial leader if it refuses to consider exploring its shale-gas reserves.
In an editorial published in the Rheinische Post newspaper on Thursday, Ulrich Grillo, president of the Federation of German Industries, warned against ignoring the potential of Germany’s natural gas reserves.
“We will not gain knowledge by bans or by waiting,†Mr. Grillo wrote. “It is time that politicians give the technological advances a chance within responsible measures. The ball is in the politicians’ court to create the necessary security for citizens and investors.â€
Germany is largely dependent on Russia for its natural gas supplies. But the Federal Natural Resources Agency, a government organization, has estimated that Germany has 2.3 trillion cubic meters, or 81 trillion cubic feet, of shale gas, enough to supply domestic consumption for about 30 years.
The proposed regulations would uphold bans on drilling in areas near water sources, though conventional oil and gas drilling would be allowed.
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