By a wide majority of 341 votes in favour and 225 against, the European Parliament’s plenary session approved the proposed three-year postponement of EU methane rules, which would have put further pressure on energy prices. Dimitris Tsiodras was the rapporteur.
The proposed delay will also help secure Europe’s energy supply amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and the uncertainty caused by disruptions in global energy markets.
After the vote, the MEP and press spokesman for the European Parliament group of New Democracy stressed: “Our priority has always been clear: to ensure Europe’s energy security, protect businesses and consumers from high energy prices, and maintain our methane reduction targets.
We are not suspending the Methane Regulation but ensuring that it can be implemented effectively. Europe can and must meet its climate commitments without jeopardising its energy security and competitiveness, and without risking disruptions to energy supplies or further increases in energy costs.”
He added: “Today’s vote is an important step towards a more realistic and effective implementation of the EU Methane Regulation.
The European Parliament backed our proposal for a targeted three-year postponement, providing greater legal certainty, allowing verification systems to become fully operational and ensuring equal treatment for producers and importers in the EU.”
The Parliament’s report also includes a clause requiring the Commission to submit a report on implementation readiness and security of supply by 1 July 2029.
Trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission will follow in November, with Dimitris Tsiodras representing Parliament as its negotiator.