This pioneering and in-depth study into the regulation of shale gas extraction examines how changes in the constitutional set-ups of EU Member States over the last 25 years have substantially altered the legal leverage of environmental protection and energy security as state objectives.

In this timely book, Ruven Fleming argues that the practical consequence of these changes has been the self-inflicted curtailment of legislative discretion. The first to formally assess the legality of fracking bans and moratoria, he exposes their flawed construction, revealing that the current regulations could be successfully challenged in front of courts of EU Member States. Reaching beyond shale gas, innovative chapters further propose a new methodology - the so called triad of objectives, principles and rules - to develop legally sound regulation of new energy technologies in the context of the energy transition.

Students and scholars across environmental and energy law will find this book an essential contribution to the sparse literature regarding the legal aspects of fracking and shale gas in Europe. The focus on a new legal methodology will also provide guidance to decision-makers and regulators alike.