Here some answers of the most often asked questions:
There will be a regulation and high environmental standards formulated. The question is though whether or not fracking is still economically interesting for the firms in Germany. The potentials are limited, but could bring a small fraction to the German gas demand (maximum 13 years). Politically, Germany has strong cooperation to Russia and has constructed expensive pipelines to Russia (North sea pipeline) so that no party still has a strong interest in a competitive gas exploration.
What is the potential for shale gas in Europe, can it be as big as in the US or will the environmental protests win through?
The potentials in Europe are much lower. The same potentials as in the USA has China and Asia in general. Some Eastern European countries as well as Poland and UK might go for fracking. But in total, the potentials are limited.
Will a gas exploration hinder the development of renewable energy sources?
No, as gas is a perfect combination to renewable energy. Gas fired power plants can more easily shut on and off and can be combined with renewable energy. Gas in mobility creates less emissions than oil, gas for building energy still has a high share. Conventional as well as unconventional gas will be important in the future.