Eleven EU countries led by the Czech Republic and Slovakia are urging the European Commission to delay key provisions of the EU's methane rules by at least three years, arguing that immediate enforcement could threaten Europe's energy security at a time of geopolitical instability, according to a document seen by Euronews.
The eleven countries launched their plea as energy ministers prepare to gather in Luxembourg on 26 June while the European Commission weighs waiving penalties linked to the bloc's methane rules for three years for oil and gas companies that breach its methane emissions law.
But the 11 member states say the Commission's proposed recommendation not to impose penalties during a three-year "transition period" is insufficient, saying the proposal is "non-binding" and that "significant legal uncertainty" remains for importers negotiating long-term supply contracts.
"While fully supporting the objective of reducing methane emissions, we consider it necessary to introduce carefully targeted adjustments, including a postponement of EU methane rules obligations by at least three years," reads the document.
Generated mainly by fossil fuel production and livestock digestion, methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential more than 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. The International Energy Agency says the gas is responsible for about 30 percent of the rise in global temperature since the Industrial Revolution.
