EU considers delay of methane imports crackdown; Jørgensen: “This is not a step back”

Brussels – The European Union is encountering difficulties in implementing the rules on emissions from energy imports set out in the EU regulation on methane and is considering postponing their entry into force, European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, said at a press briefing on the sidelines of the Informal Energy Council in Dublin. This is not the first time the Danish Commissioner expresses concern about the situation. What is new, however, is the possibility that the EU executive may revise the deadline for methane import requirements. “We are encountering difficulties in implementing” the methane regulation “in the section relating to imports.” That is why, after listening to the majority of EU countries, “I have instructed my services to assess the possibility of postponing the entry into force of the section relating to imports,” he explained. 

This is “in no way” a step backwards from our ambitions, the Commissioner stressed, before leaving the decision on a possible postponement to the European Parliament and the Council. The situation, he reiterated, remains the same: as reported by the coordination group that met last Thursday (24 September), and as Jørgensen already reiterated yesterday (28 September) in a letter to the ministers of the 27 Member States, “we are not facing a security-of-supply crisis and do not foresee one arising; but with a winter that looks set to be difficult, we want to try to eliminate any uncertainty.”

“The regulation on methane in Europe is an achievement we can be proud of and makes us pioneers in the fight against climate change,” Jørgensen added, stressing the importance of maintaining Europe’s ambition, particularly at a time when, in his view, “others around the world are moving in the wrong direction.” Therefore, “I do not want us to scale back our ambitions in any way,” the Commissioner insisted. And should a decision be taken to postpone the date of entry into force, it should be subject to one condition. Namely, that “all Member States use that year – that very year – to ensure they are in a position to implement the necessary measures once that year has passed,” he concluded.

The obligations relating to checks on methane imports set out in the legislation are expected to come into force from 2027. The methane regulation,  adopted by the EU in 2024, establishes common rules for measuring, monitoring, reporting, and reducing methane emissions in the energy sector. From 1 January 2027, the provisions on imports are expected to be extended to include gas, oil, and coal, requiring importers to demonstrate that producers in third countries comply with reporting standards equivalent to those set out in the EU. Regarding the implementation of these import requirements, Brussels is now considering greater flexibility in the timetable.