Italy and 11 other countries call to delay methane‑import obligations

Brussels – The current obligations regarding methane emissions could jeopardise the European Union’s energy supply. This is the message that Italy, and 11 other Member States, has set out in an official statement at today’s (26 June) Environment Council meeting. The document refers in particular to the “timely and proportionate application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1787” (EUMR), the European legislation that sets out strict measures to measure, monitor, report, and reduce methane emissions, requiring EU importers of crude oil, natural gas, and coal to provide greater transparency on methane emissions. The twelve believe that the application of the regulation’s obligations should be postponed by three years, as its implementation is not “currently feasible.”

 The premise of the 12 governments (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden) is that geopolitical instability has made global markets to become volatile, while the limited availability of natural gas and crude oil from the Middle East has tightened global energy markets. This situation may also affect European supply during the gas storage filling season –the spring/summer period when countries store natural gas in underground storage facilities for the winter – for future winter periods and/or during periods of peak demand. For this reason, it is essential that the implementation of the EUMR does not inadvertently restrict access to sources other than gas and crude oil. 

Governments are concerned that a strict application of the regulations could lead some producers, particularly those without advanced methane monitoring systems, to reduce or temporarily suspend deliveries to the EU. This could lead to: a reduction in the number of European suppliers at a time of fierce global competition; the redirection of methane gas and crude oil shipments toward more permissive markets; a reduction in the EU’s flexibility to compensate short-term supply shortages; a rise in the prices of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products, with negative consequences for European households; and damage to industrial competitiveness. 

The statement stresses that one of the Commission’s latest recommendations, which provides for no penalties to be imposed for three years in relation to infringements committed by importers concerning contracts concluded by the end of 2027, represents “a welcome step forward,” but it “does not improve the precarious situation for
importers because it does not alter the underlying legal obligations, and leaves major commercial,
operational, and enforcement uncertainties unresolved.” 

A targeted deferral of the regulation’s obligations could therefore ensure the continued availability of natural gas and crude oil from diversified sources. Not only that, but according to the 12 member states, it will also be possible to preserve the EU’s contractual position and prevent price rises triggered by binding regulations, while giving third parties involved time to establish and implement methane verification protocols. Other benefits include maintaining reliable cross-border energy flows and supporting a stable and predictable market. “This approach maintains the Regulation’s environmental ambition while ensuring proportionality
and feasibility,” they conclude. They have therefore called on the Commission “to urgently assess all available options to reduce barriers to imports of natural gas and crude oil.”