Members' Research Service By / March 15, 2022

Fit for 55 package: Reducing methane emissions in the energy sector [EU Legislation in Progress]

A key feature of greenhouse gases (GHG) – especially meaningful in the context of global warming – is their ability to trap heat in the atmosphere.

© chanjaok1 / Adobe Stock

Written by Henrique Morgado Simões (5th edition, updated on 22.10.2024).

On 15 December 2021, the Commission presented a proposal to regulate methane emissions reductions in the energy sector. The proposal is part of the second batch of proposals in the ‘fit for 55’ package, seeking to align EU climate and energy laws with the EU Climate Law’s 2030 target. The proposal addresses gaps in the current legislation: those relating to methane emissions from upstream exploration and the production of oil and fossil gas, but also those from the gathering and processing of fossil gas, the transmission, distribution and underground storage of gas, and liquid gas terminals operating with fossil and/or renewable methane.

In Parliament, the proposal was referred to the Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). On 26 April 2023, they adopted their joint report, which introduced several amendments to the proposal. Parliament adopted its position for the trilogue negotiations on 9 May 2023, without changes to the joint committee report. On 15 November 2023, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on the proposal. Coreper endorsed it on 15 December 2023 and ENVI and ITRE on 11 January 2024. Parliament is expected to vote on the agreed text during its April I plenary session.

Complete version

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on methane emissions reduction in the energy sector and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942
Committee responsible:Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI); Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)COM(2021) 805
15.12.2021
Rapporteur:Pascal Canfin (Renew, France); Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA, Germany)2021/0423(COD)
Shadow rapporteurs:Massimiliano Salini (EPP, Italy); Maria Spyraki (EPP, Greece); Jens Geier (S&D, Germany); Günther Sidl (S&D, Austria); Martin Hojsík (Renew, Slovakia); Guido Reil (ID, Germany); Izabela-Helena Kloc (ECR, Poland); Anna Zalewska (ECR, Poland); Mick Wallace (The Left, Ireland)Ordinary legislative procedure (COD)
(Parliament and Council
on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)
Next steps expected:
Regulation (EU) 2024/1787
OJ L, 2024/1787, 15.7.2024

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