RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
NPR's Business News starts with fracking in the U.K.
MONTAGNE: The British government today will begin the process of offering licenses for onshore oil and gas exploration. This comes as governments across Europe are seeking to reduce their dependence on imports. A third of the continent's gas comes from Russia. And European leaders are worried about disruptions to those gas flows amid the crisis in Ukraine. Britain lifted a ban on hydraulic fracturing back in 2012. But protests in opposition to fracking have slowed drilling efforts. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.