shale gas in the eastern US, and has indicated interest in bringing knowledge gained in the US to European shale gas prospects. Russian giant Gazprom announced in October 2009 that it may buy a US shale-gas producing company to gain expertise which it could then apply to Russian shale gas prospects. In the Barnett Shale in Texas, French oil firm Total entered a joint venture with Chesapeake Energy, and Italy's ENI purchased an interest in Quicksilver Resources. A 2012 report from the European Commission states that, unlike the United States, "Shale gas production will not make Europe self-sufficient in natural gas. The best case scenario for shale gas development in Europe is one in which declining conventional production can be replaced and import dependence maintained at a level of around 60%." There is a divergence of opinion among the Weimar Triangle countries with regard to shale gas development. France has introduced a ban, because of the risks connected to the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process, while Germany has suspended operations awaiting further environmental assessments. In November 2012, a divided European Parliament approved committee reports which recommended that policy on developing shale gas should be set by each member country for itself, rather than by the European Parliament. This was done despite intense lobbying by the Russian gas exporter Gazprom for an EU-wide ban on hydraulic fracturing. As of February 2013, five European countries had bans or moratoriums in place against hydraulic fracturing: France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria; Romania had recently lifted its moratorium. The flood of shale gas in North America is credited with lowering the price of natural gas in Europe. Producers of liquified natural gas (LNG), which in 2008 had been preparing to ship their product to the United States, had to find new markets, and so increased their exports to Europe. The increased competition from LNG, as well as the prospect of shale gas development, has given European governments leverage to negotiate price reductions from the Russian gas exporter Gazprom. European Union Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard noted in 2013 that shale gas could be a "game changer" in helping Europe reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as the US has done, by switching from coal to less carbon-intensive natural gas. She cautioned, however, that shale gas would not reduce the need for greater energy efficiency and renewable energy. Austria Exploration is underway in