Member Corner
By: Mustafa Adel Amer, Energy Technology Analyst
Executive Summary
The EU's methane rules for imported oil, gas and coal take effect on 1 January 2027, before the tools needed to comply exist. The 12 month delay announced by the Commission President on 6 October, which the European Parliament and member states must still approve, is welcome but too short. Three years, as industry and several member states seek, would allow the missing tools to be built in the sequence the rules require.
No verifier is accredited to check producers outside the EU, countries have no published route to recognition, and only about 6% of global gas production met the top reporting standard in 2025. The 2028 intensity reports and 2030 limits depend on methods and values not yet set. Starting unready would mean less gas reaching Europe at higher prices, cargoes rerouted without emissions falling, and the heaviest burden on producers with the least capacity.
Read the full article: The EU methane regulation requirements arrive before the tools to meet