France Urges EU to Delay Methane Reporting Rules

EPA

French President Emmanuel Macron.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the European Commission to postpone new methane reporting requirements for oil and gas importers, warning that they could create legal risks for companies as energy supplies tighten.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dated September 18, Macron called for the rules to be delayed by one year, until January 1, 2028. The letter was first reported by French newspaper Les Echos and has been seen by Reuters.

The new regulations, due to take effect on January 1, will require monitoring and verification of methane emissions from fuel deliveries to the European Union. The rules are aimed at reducing leaks of the potent greenhouse gas and allow fines to be imposed on companies that breach the requirements.

Macron argued that postponing the regulations would help avoid potential legal complications for importers at a time when energy supplies remain under pressure.

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

Several EU members including Germany, Europe's biggest gas market, have already pushed for the rules to be delayed. In response, the European Commission in July instructed EU ‌member ⁠states to waive financial penalties linked to the regulation for three years, until the end of 2029, because the war in Iran had led to tight supplies, but has not agreed to postpone implementation of the rules.

Macron, in his letter, also called ⁠for the EU to temporarily loosen fuel-quality rules to boost European production of kerosene and diesel by as much as 20% as supply pressures mount.

French refiners estimate that ⁠easing some specifications could increase fuel production by 5% to 20%, depending on the refinery, Macron said in the letter.

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

Source: Reuters



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