Overview
- Energy ministers from the United States, Qatar, Nigeria and Algeria wrote to EU leaders on Wednesday asking the bloc to pause or amend the methane import regulation because they say firms cannot meet the new monitoring and verification rules.
- Germany formally joined a growing coalition of about a dozen member states pressing for a delay or reopening of the law at a June 26 meeting of EU energy ministers, raising pressure on the European Commission to act.
- European Commission energy chief Dan Jørgensen has refused to rewrite the core regulation but said Brussels will discuss practical implementation help and temporary relief such as waiving penalties during a transition period.
- Experts and industry disagree on how much compliant gas exists, with Wood Mackenzie saying large shares of current imports could fail to comply and Rystad reporting globally available compliant gas well above Europe’s needs, while exporters warn that tracing methane across fragmented supply chains is technically hard.
- Ministers will now weigh options including a multi-year postponement, lighter MRV rules, or transitional waivers and their decision will shape winter supply contracts, investment plans and the prices consumers pay for heating and electricity.