On Nov. 6, the Council of the European Union backed a proposed one-year delay for certain methane obligations on oil, natural gas and coal imports, citing energy-market disruption and security concerns.
The proposal would postpone importer monitoring and reporting duties, as well as methane-intensity requirements for importers and EU producers. It would not delay the entire methane regulation.
The Council's position does not change the law. The European Parliament must also agree before the delay can take effect. Under current rules, import monitoring is due to begin Jan. 1, 2027. The Council said it would seek an agreement with Parliament by the end of 2026.
The debate follows earlier efforts to change the timetable. The European Commission proposed a one-year delay to reporting provisions on Oct. 14. On Oct. 22, Parliament backed three-year extensions for some importer and producer obligations and referred the matter back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations, according to its legislative file. EconoTimes previously covered calls from six countries to pause parts of the rules.
The Council cited disruption to energy markets from the conflict in the Middle East as a source of pressure on energy security. The Council’s position calls for the Commission to assess by Sept. 30, 2027, whether the necessary elements for implementing reporting obligations are in place; if any are missing, the Commission would postpone import-related monitoring obligations through secondary law. The Council's next step is to pursue an agreement with Parliament by year-end.
