In brief

• EU member states have not agreed on a deadline for the methane regulation, which imposes obligations on importers of gas and oil.
• Poland and some other countries want a three-year postponement, while the European Commission proposes one year.
• The outcome of the vote may depend on countries that have not yet taken a clear position.

Dispute over the implementation deadline

The regulation requires companies importing gas and oil to confirm that their foreign contractors measure methane emissions and report them in line with EU rules (Porozumienie UE ws. restrykcyjnych przepisów metanowych? Polska gotowa na kompromis – RMF24). According to Warsaw, suppliers that fail to adapt to these requirements in time may redirect their raw materials to other markets, which would reduce fuel supply in Europe.

Divisions between countries

Poland was one of the initiators of this group. The coalition of states calling for a three-year postponement, which includes Poland, also includes the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece and Slovenia. On Friday, only Spain opposed easing the rules (UE łagodzi przepisy pod presją Polski. Chodzi o dostawy ropy i gazu – Polskie Radio 24).

The European Commission initially did not want to change the regulation. After pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron, it proposed a one-year postponement. The proposal is supported by France, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg and Portugal.

What comes next

The outcome of the vote may depend on states that have not yet taken a clear position. An EU diplomat acknowledged that the situation remains unclear.

Also read

• UE odroczyła o rok obowiązki dotyczące metanu w imporcie ropy i gazu