European Parliament Delays Methane Rules 3 Years as Satellites Detect Leaks With Up to 100% Accuracy
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 28
European Parliament Delays Methane Rules 3 Years as Satellites Detect Leaks With Up to 100% Accuracy
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 28
Summary
A three-year postponement approved by the European Parliament last week would push back EU methane rules for oil and gas imports, going beyond the European Commission’s earlier proposal for a one-year delay.
Energy-security fears tied to the Iran war drove the retreat, even though the Commission and outside experts said the rules would not threaten affordability or supply; Trump also moved to scrap U.S. methane rules, citing $45 billion in savings.
New monitoring tools are making leaks far easier to find: a Nature study said satellites detected methane with 92% to 100% accuracy on clear days, and Carbon Mapper’s Tanager satellites recently identified a large Texas plume.
Enforcement remains weak despite better detection. Carbon Mapper said only about half of 460 U.S. notices drew responses, while a U.N. methane alert system logged a 12% response rate in 2025.
The rollback deepens a wider gap between methane pledges and action: 141 governments backed cuts under the Paris framework, but only 20 have outlined fossil-fuel measures and just five set quantified targets.