EU Weighs Delay to Methane Rules for Imported Fuels, Energy Chief Says
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said he has instructed his services to look into postponing the bloc's methane regulation for imported fuels, amid calls from some governments to pause the law.
The European Union is considering postponing its regulation on methane emissions from imported fuels, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said on Tuesday, indicating that the move under review is a delay rather than any dilution of the rules.
"I have instructed my services to look into postponing the EU methane regulation for imported fuels," Jorgensen said during a meeting of EU energy ministers in Ireland.
The commissioner framed the step as a timing question, saying he was examining a postponement and not a loosening of the regulation's requirements.
The law, which targets methane emissions linked to fuels brought into the bloc, has drawn pushback from several governments. France and others have urged that the measure be paused or rolled back, pointing to concerns that it could disrupt supplies of imported oil and gas during the winter.
No decision has been announced, and it remains unclear how long any delay might last. Jorgensen's remarks signal that the European Commission is at least studying a postponement as it weighs the regulation's impact on energy imports.