EC chief: Exporters get another year to prepare for EU methane rules after Czech pressure

Strasbourg/Brussels, 6 October (CTK correspondent) - Exporters will get another year to prepare for the EU methane regulation, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today. Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen had earlier signalled a possible one-year delay to the part of the methane regulation concerning imports of fossil fuels. The Czech Republic was among those pushing for a delay to the entry into force of parts of the regulation, and later gained the support of 19 other countries, including Germany. Prague had called for a delay of up to three years, while France proposed one year.

“We will give methane exporters another year of flexibility,” von der Leyen told MEPs in a speech in Strasbourg.

She added that the European Commission would launch a strategic dialogue on European refineries with the aim of reducing costs, and that in the coming months it would propose measures to increase electricity’s share of total energy demand.

Families and industry are paying the price for a crisis unfolding far beyond the borders of the European Union, according to the head of the EU executive. Gas prices have risen by 140 percent since the end of February. Diesel prices have doubled, and imported fossil fuels have cost Europe a total of 100 billion euros more since the start of the war with Iran. “We are all feeling these higher costs. Businesses are under great pressure. People are struggling to pay their bills. And the situation could get even worse as we head into winter. We must therefore act now,” von der Leyen added.

The head of the EU executive also noted that energy conditions vary considerably from one member state to another. In one country, she said, a megawatt-hour of electricity costs around 145 euros, with gas mainly determining the price, while in another it costs about 70 euros, with nuclear energy and renewables mainly setting the price. There is therefore no one-size-fits-all solution for the EU, von der Leyen said, and member states need sufficient flexibility in responding to high prices.

Support for families and businesses most affected by the current crisis must be targeted, according to the Commission president. “No blanket handouts, because they would boost demand, favour higher-income groups and entail huge costs. Instead, support tailored to people’s needs,” she told MEPs. She cited what she described as good examples from France and Romania, where energy vouchers are provided to low-income families.

The EU regulation on methane emissions in the energy sector entered into force in August 2024, and its individual requirements are being phased in. From 1 January 2027, additional requirements concerning methane emissions associated with imported oil, gas and coal are due to apply to fossil fuel importers. Among other things, importers would have to demonstrate that producers in third countries use an adequate system for measuring, reporting and verifying emissions. This is the part that has prompted concerns among some member states, which say there are not enough measuring devices and independent verifiers in third countries.

The Czech Republic raised the issue as early as spring. Czech representatives, together with those of other countries, submitted a so-called non-paper to the European Commission in April, calling for key obligations for importers to be postponed. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš subsequently wrote to von der Leyen.

Concerns have since intensified in connection with the energy crisis that followed the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East and the disruption of energy commodity transport through the Strait of Hormuz. Some member states warned that stringent import requirements could complicate or increase the cost of importing gas and oil into the EU at a time when energy markets are under strain.