The EU Council on November 6 agreed a position on a one-year delay of some methane requirements for importers of gas, oil and coal. European authorities want to avoid additional obstacles to fuel supplies amid high prices and disruptions on the global energy market.
According to the European Commission's justification, availability of alternative supplies is limited, especially for urgent purchases. Importers warned that by the beginning of 2027 they may not be able to ensure sufficient volumes of fuel that meet the new requirements. The situation is complicated by disruptions to trade routes and supplies from the Middle East.
The amendment has not yet been adopted: the Council will have to negotiate with the European Parliament. The current deadlines remain in place for now.
According to the EU Council position, the application of importers' monitoring, reporting and verification obligations is proposed to be postponed from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2028.
These requirements concern the control of methane emissions during fuel production. Importers must confirm that foreign producers use measurement, reporting and verification procedures equivalent to European ones. Under the current regulation, the relevant obligations cover supplies under contracts concluded or renewed after August 4, 2024.
For businesses, the delay means additional time to prepare data and organize checks. National authorities also need to complete the accreditation of independent verifiers and prepare control mechanisms. The European Commission explains the initiative by the need to balance the implementation of environmental rules with the reliability of energy supply.
Ukraine also uses European infrastructure for gas imports. For example, in February 2026, Naftogaz announced receiving almost 100 million cubic meters of American LNG in partnership with ORLEN. The gas was received at the terminal in Polish Świnoujście, after which it became available for Ukraine's needs.
In addition to the requirements for importers, the Council proposes to postpone the start of reporting on methane emission intensity from fuel production from August 5, 2028 to August 5, 2029. The application of limit values for this indicator — from August 5, 2030 to August 5, 2031. These provisions affect both importers and producers in the EU.
The European Parliament proposes longer delays for certain points. In particular, according to parliament materials, MEPs want to set the deadline for the first emission intensity report to August 5, 2031, while the Council supports 2029.
The Council also proposes to instruct the European Commission to assess by September 30, 2027 the readiness of the system and provide for the possibility of further postponement of import requirements if the necessary conditions for their implementation are not met.
The Council expects to reach an agreement with the European Parliament by the end of 2026 — before the first of the current deadlines.
Sources: EU Council, European Commission, European Parliament, Naftogaz.
