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Methane Regulation

MRV and emission reduction obligations for oil, gas and coal (including imports)

Reference
Regulation (EU) 2024/1787
Key date
2024
Applies to
Energy imports and production
01

Who the regulation applies to

This regulation applies to:

The following provisions define its scope:

Article 1 — Subject matter and scope

1. This Regulation lays down rules for the accurate measurement, quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of methane emissions in the energy sector in the Union, as well as the reduction of those emissions, including through leak detection and repair surveys, repair obligations and restrictions on venting and flaring. This Regulation also lays down rules on tools ensuring transparency as regards methane emissions. 2. This Regulation applies to: (a) oil and fossil gas exploration and production, and fossil gas gathering and processing; (b) inactive wells, temporarily plugged wells and permanently plugged and abandoned wells; (c) natural gas transmission and distribution, excluding metering systems at final consumption points and the parts of service lines between the distribution network and the metering system located on the property of final customers, as well as underground storage and operations in LNG facilities; and (d) active underground coal mines and surface coal mines, closed underground coal mines and abandoned underground coal mines. 3. This Regulation applies also to methane emissions occurring outside the Union, with respect to crude oil, natural gas and coal placed on the Union market, as referred to in Chapter 5.

Article 11 — Scope

This Chapter applies to the activities referred to in Article 1(2), points (a), (b) and (c).

02

What the regulation requires

Duty Trigger Evidence Timing
Methane MRV and leak detection and repair in the energy sector
Measure, report and reduce methane emissions from oil and gas and coal mines (LDAR).
EU energy operators and importers MRV reports, LDAR records Phased from 2025
Importers report methane emissions in supplier countries
Imports of fossil energy must report upstream methane data and mitigation measures.
Importing oil, natural gas and coal Supplier country MRV data, evidence of equivalent measures From 2027
03

Key provisions

Article 1(1) — Subject matter

This Regulation lays down rules for the accurate measurement, quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification of methane emissions in the energy sector in the Union, as well as the reduction of those emissions, including through leak detection and repair surveys, repair obligations and restrictions on venting and flaring. This Regulation also lays down rules on tools ensuring transparency as regards methane emissions.

Article 1(3) — Extraterritorial scope (imports)

This Regulation applies also to methane emissions occurring outside the Union, with respect to crude oil, natural gas and coal placed on the Union market, as referred to in Chapter 5.

Article 5(2) — Assistance to competent authorities

Operators, undertakings, mine operators and importers shall provide the competent authorities with all assistance necessary to enable or facilitate the performance of the tasks of the competent authorities under this Regulation, in particular as regards presentation of documentation or records, access to the site and, where the site is located offshore, transport to or from the site.

Article 8(1) — Verification activities

Verifiers shall carry out verification activities to assess the conformity of the emissions reports submitted to them by operators, undertakings, mine operators or importers, with the requirements of this Regulation. Those verification activities shall include the review of all data sources and methodologies used in order to assess the reliability, credibility and accuracy of the emissions reports ...

Article 8(4) — Verification statement

If, following the verifier's assessment, the verifier concludes with reasonable assurance that the emissions report complies with the requirements of this Regulation, the verifier shall issue a verification statement attesting the conformity of the emissions report and specifying the verification activities carried out.

Article 9(1) — Independence of verifiers

Verifiers shall be independent from the operators, undertakings, mine operators and importers and shall carry out verification activities under this Regulation in the public interest. For that purpose, neither the verifier nor any part of the same legal entity shall be an operator, undertaking, mine operator or importer, or own an operator, undertaking, mine operator or importer, or be owned by an operator, undertaking, mine operator or importer.

04

Industry dossiers covering this regulation

05

Related regulations

06

Official text