European Union countries support postponing the implementation of new methane gas rules for a year

European Union countries agreed to postpone the implementation of controversial new rules aimed at reducing methane emissions for one year, ahead of difficult negotiations with the European Parliament.

In an unusual move, the European Parliament voted last month to postpone implementation of the new rules for three years, citing concerns about rising energy prices, going beyond the European Commission's initial proposal that called for a one-year postponement.

Representatives of European Union countries and members of the European Parliament are scheduled to begin negotiations, with the aim of reaching a compromise on the duration of the postponement.

Methane is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, after carbon dioxide, according to the European Commission.

European rules aimed at reducing methane emissions in the energy sector have been in effect since 2024.

Some emissions reporting and monitoring obligations are currently scheduled to come into effect from the beginning of 2027, unless the European Parliament and EU member states agree to postpone the new rules.

Under these rules, for some supply contracts, companies will have to prove that producers in the country of origin monitor and document methane emissions according to standards no less stringent than those imposed on companies within the European Union.

The Turkish Energy Minister outlined plans for his country aimed at gradually eliminating dependence on coal and other fossil fuels, as it prepares to host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) summit.

World leaders are scheduled to arrive next week in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, and Türkiye's hosting of the annual environmental conference has highlighted its own use of coal, oil and gas.

It is noteworthy that Türkiye is the largest coal power generator in Europe, according to the Amber Energy Research Center. The Turkish Ministry of Energy says that coal was still the largest source of energy last year, constituting 33 percent of total power generation, and the share of solar and wind energy in electricity generation amounted to about 23 percent.

Turkish Energy Minister Alp Arslan Bayraktar revealed the National Energy Plan for 2040 to journalists in a report published on Friday, in which he said that Turkey aims to shift from coal to more clean energy sources, a process known as “electrification,” which is a term in the field of natural sciences and engineering that refers to the process of generating electrical charges, and this will help fulfill its pledge to reach zero emissions by 2053.

He added: “When we reach 2040, we will reduce our emissions by 40 percent. This major change towards relying on electric charging generation will make that happen,” he said, noting that the use of solar and wind energy sources will increase more than four-fold over the next 13 years.

John Williams, President of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, said on Friday that economic growth in the United States has remained remarkably resilient despite successive shocks, but inflation is still too high, and it is necessary to return it to the target level of 2 percent.

Williams added during a European Central Bank conference in Frankfurt: “The inflation rate is definitely higher than necessary.” “It has been too high for too long.”

He continued, saying: “It is absolutely necessary that we return inflation to our two percent target in a timely manner and on a sustainable basis.”