EU Lawmakers Back 3-Year Methane Rule Delay in 341-225 Vote
(MENAFN) Citing risks to the bloc’s energy supply security, the European Parliament on Thursday voted to give oil, gas and coal importers three more years before they must comply with methane monitoring and reporting rules.
Lawmakers adopted their stance on the European Commission’s proposal by 341 votes to 225, with six abstentions, the parliament said in a statement.
The European Commission had put forward a one-year delay. Parliament went further, backing three-year extensions for certain deadlines as tensions in energy markets and elevated prices tied to the Middle East conflict continue to weigh on the bloc.
Under the parliament’s plan, importers would have until May 31, 2031, to prove that supply contracts concluded or renewed since Aug. 4, 2024, meet monitoring, reporting and verification standards equivalent to the EU’s own.
EU producers and importers would also get until Aug. 5, 2031, rather than 2029, to report the methane intensity of the fossil fuels they place on the European market.
The longer timelines come with a firm exception. Lawmakers insisted they must not apply to oil, gas or coal from countries whose exports to the EU are restricted or banned under sanctions. Importers would have to report those volumes separately, even when they arrive as part of mixed shipments, to stop companies from skirting the restrictions.
The European Parliament also asked the European Commission to submit a report by July 1, 2029, reviewing how the rules are being implemented and how they affect energy supply security.
Lawmakers adopted their stance on the European Commission’s proposal by 341 votes to 225, with six abstentions, the parliament said in a statement.
The European Commission had put forward a one-year delay. Parliament went further, backing three-year extensions for certain deadlines as tensions in energy markets and elevated prices tied to the Middle East conflict continue to weigh on the bloc.
Under the parliament’s plan, importers would have until May 31, 2031, to prove that supply contracts concluded or renewed since Aug. 4, 2024, meet monitoring, reporting and verification standards equivalent to the EU’s own.
EU producers and importers would also get until Aug. 5, 2031, rather than 2029, to report the methane intensity of the fossil fuels they place on the European market.
The longer timelines come with a firm exception. Lawmakers insisted they must not apply to oil, gas or coal from countries whose exports to the EU are restricted or banned under sanctions. Importers would have to report those volumes separately, even when they arrive as part of mixed shipments, to stop companies from skirting the restrictions.
The European Parliament also asked the European Commission to submit a report by July 1, 2029, reviewing how the rules are being implemented and how they affect energy supply security.
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