▪️New EU legislation targets methane emissions from oil, gas, and coal sectors.
▪️MEPs call for binding 2030 reduction target for EU methane emissions.
▪️New rules oblige operators to submit methane leak detection and repair programs.
▪️EU to ban venting and flaring of methane from drainage stations and ventilation shafts.
▪️Importers of coal, oil, and gas must meet EU requirements for methane emissions from 2026.
The European Parliament’s Environment and Industry Committees have adopted their position on reducing methane emissions in the energy sector, which is aimed at helping the EU achieve its climate goals and improving air quality.
The new legislation is the first of its kind aimed at cutting methane emissions, and it covers direct methane emissions from the oil, fossil gas, and coal sectors, as well as biomethane once it is injected into the gas network. The MEPs also want to include the petrochemicals sector in the new rules. The legislation was adopted with a significant majority, receiving 114 votes in favour, 15 against, and 3 abstentions.
The MEPs are calling for the European Commission to propose a binding 2030 reduction target for EU methane emissions for all relevant sectors by the end of 2025. Member states will then be required to set national reduction targets as part of their integrated national energy and climate plans.
The proposed legislation would also oblige operators to submit a methane leak detection and repair programme to the relevant national authorities within six months of the regulation’s entry into force. The MEPs are calling for more frequent leak detection and repair surveys than those proposed by the Commission, as well as strengthening the obligations to repair leaks. The operators would be required to repair or replace all components found to be leaking methane immediately after detection or no later than five days.
The legislation also envisages a ban on venting and flaring of methane from drainage stations by 2025 and from ventilation shafts by 2027, ensuring safety for workers in coal mines. It obliges EU countries to establish mitigation plans for abandoned coal mines and inactive oil and fossil gas wells.
As imports make up more than 80% of the oil and gas consumed in the EU, the MEPs are proposing that, from 2026, importers of coal, oil, and gas will have to demonstrate that the imported fossil energy meets the requirements set out in the regulation.
Imports from countries with similar requirements for methane emissions will be exempted from EU rules. The new legislation represents a significant step towards achieving the EU’s climate goals and improving air quality, and it has been welcomed by environmental campaigners.