EU Methane Regulation: Enabling the implementation of import provisions
Read the full joint letter here.
Eurogas and 29 other organisations from around the globe have jointly signed a letter calling on DG ENER to implement concrete, workable compliance pathways with regard to importer requirements in the EU Methane Regulation. This is essential for developing compliance tools such as certification schemes, as well as enabling the contracting of new supplies that support the Union’s diversification objectives, including phasing out Russian gas, while safeguarding secure and affordable energy supplies for Europe.
We encourage the Commission and the Network of Competent Authorities to prioritise the following outcomes on every aspect of the EU MR:
- Concrete, practical guidance from the European Commission that Member States can formalise at national level to provide necessary legal certainty
- Harmonised implementation across Member States
- Timely delivery aligned with EU MR implementation and real-world contracting timelines
- Structured engagement with industry
We support the inclusion of security of supply considerations1 within national frameworks, including penalty regimes, that enable the conclusion of new contracts, avoid the risk of supply disruptions and ensure the affordability of gas and oil supplies to the Union’s industry and private consumers and hence facilitate economic growth in the Union. In this context, we would welcome clarity that security of supply should be interpreted broadly, including situations where EU MR requirements national frameworks are at risk to:
- Undermine diversification efforts
- Have a material adverse impact on affordability of energy supplies
- Have a material adverse impact on the operations of critical infrastructure such as refineries
We welcome that the European Commission provided elements about its intention to accept certificates as a tool for compliance with the EU MR. This must now be translated into concrete guidance documents. We urgently request clarity on the acceptability, for compliance purposes, of independently verified, separately tradeable certificates as a compliance option that allow importers to evidence production-level methane-related attributes and information required under the EU MR, including in complex value chains where traceability to a producer is not possible without disrupting established markets.
While the points above are focused on the import provisions of the EU MR, significant implementation challenges also exist and will remain for domestic producers and infrastructure operators as well as traders and producers. While the measures set out above may reduce some of the security of supply risks associated with the import requirements, targeted adjustments will nonetheless be needed to ensure a sound and coherent regulatory framework over time as some of the implementation challenges are structural in nature. Assessing and addressing these challenges is a critical exercise that should be urgently carried out.
Read the full joint letter below for more details.
