The EU adopts a law aimed at reducing methane emissions from the energy sector

Fossil fuels produced or imported into the European Union will soon have to meet standards for monitoring, reporting and verifying methane emissions under a law adopted by the European Council on Monday.

The new regulation requires EU operators of oil and gas wells and coal mines to establish monitoring of methane emissions, clean up methane leaks within a specified period and prevent flaring.

The regulation enters into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

“Operators will be required to measure methane emissions at source level and produce monitoring reports, which will be checked by independent accredited verifiers,” the council said in a statement.

The European Commission is to develop a monitoring tool for global methane emitters to provide satellite information on the size and location of high-emitting sources in the EU and beyond.

The Commission will also develop a mechanism to rapidly respond to ‘excess emissions’ events within or outside the EU.

The regulation requires Member States to maintain an up-to-date inventory of all wells, as well as plans to reduce methane emissions in the case of inactive wells. Member States must also measure methane emissions from mines closed for less than 70 years.

“National authorities will carry out periodic inspections to check and ensure operators’ compliance with the requirements of the regulation, including taking further remedial measures,” the council said.

When facilities reach a certain level of leaking methane, operators are required to replace it within five days. Full repair should not take longer than 30 days.

From 2025, the discharge and burning of methane from drainage stations will be banned. From 2027, venting and flares of ventilation shafts should not be carried out in mines. However, these prohibitions exclude emergency situations.

The regulation will also affect non-EU operators. It requires EU importers of crude oil, natural gas and coal to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that their purchases meet the monitoring, reporting and verification requirements applicable at the level of EU producers.

The text of the regulation indicates that the EU imports 70 percent of its hard coal needs, 97 percent of its crude oil and 90 percent of its fossil gas needs. “Although the share of global anthropogenic methane emissions emitted in Europe is estimated to be only around 6 percent, fossil fuel consumption and dependence on fossil fuel imports contribute significantly to methane emissions in the Union,” the regulation states.

The European Commission is tasked with developing the procedure and requirements for the evidence that an exporting country can provide to establish the enforcement of measures equivalent to those set out in the regulation.

The regulation aims to conclude cooperation agreements between the EU and third countries from which the 27-member bloc obtains oil, gas and coal.

“Methane is the second biggest cause of global warming and air pollution after CO2, responsible for around one third of greenhouse gas emissions, harming both our environment and our health,” EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said in a statement.

“Thanks to the final adoption by the EU of the Methane Regulation, we now have the means to gain greater insight into the main sources of methane emissions in the energy sector. This will increase transparency and provide the tools necessary to reduce these potential emissions, both in the EU and globally.”

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