The Council of the EU has agreed to support a one-year postponement of key methane emissions monitoring and reporting requirements under the EU Methane Regulation. The proposed changes move importer monitoring obligations to January 2028, methane-intensity reporting to August 2029 and maximum methane-intensity requirements to August 2031. Although the amendments still require agreement with the European Parliament, companies should use the additional preparation time to strengthen supplier engagement, emissions data collection and verification processes.
The Council of the European Union agreed on 6 November 2026 to postpone key implementation deadlines under the EU Methane Regulation (EU) 2024/1787, giving companies importing crude oil, natural gas and coal additional time to comply with methane emissions monitoring and reporting requirements. The decision responds to concerns about energy security, supply-chain disruption and the practical readiness of international reporting and verification systems.
Under the Council’s negotiating position, the main changes include:
- Methane emissions monitoring and reporting: Requirements for importers to demonstrate that non-EU producers apply monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) measures equivalent to EU standards would be postponed from 1 January 2027 to 1 January 2028.
- Methane-intensity reporting: Requirements for importers and EU producers to report methane emissions relative to production would move from 5 August 2028 to 5 August 2029.
- Methane-intensity limits: Maximum methane-intensity requirements would be postponed from 5 August 2030 to 5 August 2031.
The Council’s position also introduces a review mechanism. By 30 September 2027, the European Commission must assess whether the necessary implementation conditions are in place, including sufficient independent third-party verifiers and functioning EU rules for transferring emissions information between producers and importers. If these conditions are not met, further postponement of import-related monitoring obligations may follow.
For companies operating in the energy sector, the proposed delay provides additional time to establish data collection processes, engage international suppliers and prepare verification arrangements. Importers will nevertheless need to understand their suppliers’ emissions monitoring capabilities and assess whether existing contracts and information-sharing arrangements can support future compliance.
Importantly, the postponement does not represent a withdrawal of the EU’s methane-reduction ambitions. The wider regulation continues to require measures to detect and repair methane leaks and restrict venting and flaring. These obligations are not suspended by the Council’s proposed amendments.
The development is not yet final legislation. The Council must negotiate with the European Parliament, which has supported a longer postponement, before the amendments can be adopted. Until the legislative changes enter into force, the existing regulatory deadlines remain applicable.
For energy companies, importers and their supply-chain partners, the key priority is therefore to use the additional preparation time to strengthen methane emissions data, supplier engagement and verification readiness rather than defer compliance planning.
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