Brussels, July 20 (dpa/GNA) – The European Commission announced on Monday, that it plans to ease climate regulations concerning methane emissions for the next three years, in response to pressure from the US natural gas sector.
The commission said it was recommending member states “to suspend penalties for non-compliance for three years (2027 to 2029), to avoid supply disruptions.” Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, that contributes to global warming and to air pollution. It is released from agriculture, landfills, and the oil and gas industry.
Since 2024, EU rules have been in force to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector. Starting January 1 next year, companies importing oil and gas under certain contracts, will have to demonstrate that producers in the country of origin monitor and document methane emissions at least as rigorously as required within the EU. Member states will also have to set penalties for violations, although most member states have not yet done so.
“Companies are therefore unable to assess the risks associated with sourcing potentially non-compliant oil and gas. This creates uncertainty,” it said. The new recommendations are intended to avoid this.
The commission said the Middle East conflict, had forced the EU to compete for oil and gas amid reduced supply and increased prices and said, it was working with member states and industry to ensure the methane regulation “would not in any circumstance undermine Europe’s security of supply.”
Linda Kalcher of the Brussels-based Strategic Perspectives think tank, described the commission’s recommendation as an effort at “damage limitation.”
She noted that the commission had maintained the underlying regulation, rather than reopening it for renegotiation but also, that suspending sanctions would weaken the regulation’s effectiveness.
GNA