The European Commission has proposed waiving penalties linked to the bloc's methane rules for three years.
Industry and top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters have been pressuring Brussels over its burdensome reporting requirements, which they said could affect exports to the European Union.
EU member states adopted methane rules in May 2024, introducing the bloc’s first framework for measuring, reporting and verifying methane emissions in the energy sector as part of efforts to curb one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Failure to honor such requests would incur penalties, which would start applying in 2027.
But on Monday, the Commission recommended exempting business operators from full compliance.
The much-anticipated recommendations come after months of lobbying from the United States, Qatar, Algeria and Nigeria, who warned the EU executive that its rules would endanger the EU's security of supply at a time when the bloc is struggling to offset losses from the Middle East – a claim hotly contested by environmentalists.
