2026/0325(COD)

Official summary (Legislative Observatory, Decision by Parliament, 1st reading): The European Parliament adopted by 341 votes to 225, with 6 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector as regards the postponement of certain obligations.

The matter was referred back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations.

The main amendments adopted in plenary session are as follows:

Equivalence of monitoring, reporting and verification measures

Under Parliament’s proposal, importers of crude oil, natural gas and coal would have until 31 May 2031 (instead of 31 May 2029), to show that supply contracts concluded or renewed since 4 August 2024 cover only fuel subject to monitoring, reporting and verification measures equivalent to EU rules.

With regard to contracts concluded before 4 August 2024 for the supply of crude oil, natural gas or coal produced outside the Union, importers should make every reasonable effort to require that the crude oil, natural gas or coal be subject to producer-level monitoring, reporting and verification measures equivalent to those provided for in this Regulation.

The amended text provides that by 31 May 2031 at the latest (instead of 31 May 2029) importers should inform the competent authorities of the Member State in which they are established each year of the results of these efforts for the previous calendar year and, and, in case of failure, provide sound justification to those competent authorities for such failure and set out the actions that they have undertaken as part of those efforts.

Furthermore, EU producers and importers should first report the methane intensity of the fossil fuels they place on the EU market by 5 August 2031, not 5 August 2029.

Monitoring and reporting

Members want to give EU oil and gas operators three more years to submit verified reports combining source-level and site-level methane measurements - supplemented by measurements of methane emissions at the site level: until 5 February 2030 (instead of 5 February 2027) for operated assets, and until 5 August 2031 (instead of 5 August 2028) for non-operated assets.

Crude oil, natural gas and coal from third countries subject to restrictive measures

The additional time granted by this Regulation should not benefit crude oil, natural gas or coal originating in, or exported directly or indirectly from, third countries subject to restrictive measures adopted under Article 29 TEU or Article 215 TFEU prohibiting or restricting the import into the Union of those products from those countries.

To prevent any circumvention, importers should declare these volumes separately, including when they are part of mixed cargoes. The Commission should publish and update an indicative list of the countries concerned.

Review of implementation and security of supply

Members want the Commission to submit, by 1 July 2029 , a report on the implementation of the provisions relating to importers and methane intensity. This report would cover national penalty regimes, the accreditation of verifiers, the recognition of compliance solutions, the information provided in accordance with the regulation, and the security of supply situation. Where necessary, the Commission should propose changes to the regulation in case of continued challenges for implementation or a threat to the security of supply.