EU Methane Regulation: Joint Statement ahead of next European Council and TTE Council of June 2026

Download full statement here.

Eurogas and 17 industry organisations welcome the Commission’s intention to address energy supply risks through the draft Recommendation on penalties. However, the Recommendation does not provide sufficient legal certainty, raises the risk of fragmented implementation, and fails to solve the fundamental compliance challenges in the Regulation.

Ahead of the June 2026 EU Summit and Energy Council meetings, the signatories call on Member States to urge the Commission to present a revised implementation timeline for the Regulation’s importer requirements that come into effect on 1 January 2027.

Key ask to the EU Council
The European Commission’s intention to address some of the shortcomings by issuing Recommendations is welcome but cannot provide the legal certainty required for contracting new supplies, nor can it remedy the issue of non-compliance.

In light of the urgency of the situation, with impending e.g., 1 January 2027 deadline exposing importers to significant penalties without concrete possibility to comply, the signatories call on Member States to urge the European Commission to present a revised implementation timeline for the EU Methane Regulation import provisions. While the Recommendations are a positive first step, they do not provide the sufficient legal certainty.

An updated timeline should be urgently discussed and adopted. This targeted amendment should in particular postpone the application of Chapter V requirements for importers, including MRV equivalence and methane intensity requirements, to dates that are consistent with the development of necessary yet currently missing implementing acts, standards, methodologies and resources for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Methane Emissions at EU, international and Member State level.