Macron Urges EU to Delay Methane Reporting Rules Amid Energy Crunch

French President Emmanuel Macron has written to the European Commission requesting a one-year postponement of new methane reporting requirements for oil and gas importers, warning that the rules could expose importers to legal risks as energy supplies tighten.

The letter, addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and dated September 18, was first reported by the French newspaper Les Echos.

The regulations, scheduled to take effect on January 1, would require monitoring and verification of methane emissions for fuel deliveries to the bloc. They aim to curb leaks of the potent greenhouse gas and impose fines on companies that breach the rules. Macron has called for the implementation date to be pushed back to January 1, 2028.

Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.

Several EU member states, including Germany, Europe's largest gas market, have already sought a delay. In July, the European Commission instructed member states to waive financial penalties linked to the regulation for three years, until the end of 2029, citing tight supplies following the war in Iran. However, it has not agreed to postpone the rules themselves.

In his letter, Macron also urged the EU to temporarily relax fuel-quality specifications to boost European production of kerosene and diesel by as much as 20% as supply pressures mount. French refiners estimate that easing certain specifications could raise fuel output by 5% to 20%, depending on the refinery, Macron said.

The French president further proposed loosening biofuel-blending limits, including allowing distributors to replace B7 diesel, which contains up to 7% biodiesel, with B10, which contains up to 10%.