The EU Methane Regulation 2024/1787 has been in force since 5 August 2024 and is an important component of the EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ climate package. The central aim is to significantly reduce methane emissions across the entire supply chain of fossil fuels such as crude oil, natural gas and coal. The reason: after carbon dioxide, methane is the most climate-damaging greenhouse gas.
Who is affected?
The regulation obliges importers of crude oil, natural gas and coal to disclose information on the methane intensity of the energy sources they import into the EU. Methane emissions generated outside the EU during the extraction, processing or transport of these raw materials are also subject to the reporting obligation. This is intended to ensure transparent, controlled and low-emission imports of fossil fuels. The Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA), which has been entrusted with this task by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), is responsible for implementation at national level.
Technical Implementation and Registration Period
The technical process for submitting methane intensity data varies across EU Member States. Each Member State is required, under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1787, to designate one or more competent authorities responsible for the implementation, supervision, and enforcement of the regulation at national level. It is essential that companies comply with the reporting deadline of the respective EU member state in order to avoid sanctions such as the imposition of fines and periodic penalty payments.
The European Commission publishes and regularly updates a list of these national competent authorities. Importers should consult their respective national authorities to determine the exact registration procedure.
Sources: BAFA (in German), Regulation (EU) 2024/1787
