Methane emissions to be brought under control in the EU as Council approves long-awaited regulation

On Monday, the Council of the European Union approved another part of the Fit for 55 package – the methane emissions regulation. Alongside carbon dioxide, methane is one of the greenhouse gases whose emissions are to fall by 55% by 2030. The aim of the regulation is primarily to reduce methane emissions in the energy sector, which account for up to 19% of total methane emissions in the European Union.

The methane emissions regulation is the first legislative measure specifically focused on methane emissions. It introduces new requirements for measuring, reporting and verifying methane emissions in the energy sector.

For some operators of facilities that may be a source of methane leaks into the atmosphere, the regulation will mean new obligations. These will primarily include the requirement to measure methane emissions directly at source and to prepare reports that will be checked by independent auditors.

The obligations will also apply to member states. They will have to maintain and regularly update an inventory of all active and inactive extraction wells. Similar obligations will also apply to coal mines that were closed less than 70 years ago, as methane continues to be released from them even after mining has ceased.

"Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and is up to thirty times more potent than CO2. To meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, we must reduce methane emissions in the oil, natural gas and coal sectors. This legislation ensures the proper monitoring and addressing of emissions across these value chains," Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten said of the approved regulation.

The regulation also targets activities outside the European Union, for example methane emissions related to imports of oil, gas and coal into the European Union. For this purpose, an emissions monitoring system is to be put into operation, to which foreign importers of gas, oil and coal will provide information.