EU waives penalties for oil and gas firms that breach methane law
The nonbinding recommendation keeps methane rules in place while giving importers optional contract clauses and delaying fines until 2030.
- The European Commission recommended on Monday that Member States delay penalties for energy importers failing to comply with methane emissions rules by three years, citing security of supply concerns.
- Months of lobbying from the United States, Qatar, Algeria, and Nigeria preceded the decision, as these nations warned that the regulations could jeopardize essential energy shipments—a claim environmentalists hotly contest.
- Beginning in 2027, fossil-fuel imports must comply with monitoring and reporting requirements for methane, a greenhouse gas trapping about 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years.
- Esther Bollendorff, fossil free program manager at Climate Action Network Europe, warned the three-year sanction holiday "risks giving a free pass to methane-intensive gas imports," arguing recommendations should not deter Member States from implementing robust penalties.
- A spokesperson from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers told Euronews that non-binding guidance "cannot deliver the uniform legal certainty Europe needs," urging The European Union to fast-track targeted amendments maintaining methane goals.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Brussels postpones the sanctions of the European methane regulation until 2030 in a significant decision regarding the sanctions set out in the European Methane Regulation, delaying its implementation until 2030. This measure has generated a wide debate in both political circles and in the energy and environmental sectors. The European Methane Regulation was designed as a key element in the Union’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and…
EU Softens Methane Rules for Oil and Gas Importers Amid Energy Security Fears
BRUSSELS — The European Union has told member states to hold off on penalties for oil and gas companies that fail to meet strict methane emissions standards. The three-year grace period covers 2027 through 2029. It comes as geopolitical tensions disrupt global energy flows. The move marks a significant concession. It follows intense lobbying from Washington and industry groups. They warned that rigid enforcement could trigger supply shortages an…
Brussels actually freezes the grip on emissions of methane into the atmosphere, associated with imports of fossil fuels. The Commission recommended that the Twenty-seven, on 20 July, suspend...
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency
조선일보(Brussels=Yonhap News) Correspondent Hyun Yoon-kyung = The European Union (EU) has decided to suspend sanctions against energy importers that do not comply with methane emission regulations for three years.
EU countries fear energy shortages due to the new methane rules: exporters threatened to opt for less strict markets.
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