IOGP Europe Letter to Competitiveness Council

IOGP Europe is registered as an ASBL under Belgian Law. Company number 0759.579.581. Registered office: 188A Avenue de Tervueren, B-1150 Brussels, Belgium

To: Competitiveness Council (Internal Market, Industry) Cc: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (COMPGRO)

25th September 2025, Brussels

Integrating the EU Methane Regulation into the EU Simplification Agenda

Dear Ministers,

Ahead of the Competitiveness Council meeting on 29 September, we would like to share our recommendations

regarding the inclusion of the EU Methane Regulation within the EU Simplification Agenda.

The agenda of the meeting foresees a presentation by the Executive Vice-President Séjourné on the annual

progress report on simplification, followed by an exchange of views. We believe this discussion provides a timely

opportunity to ensure that the Methane Regulation is considered as part of the broader simplification efforts, as per

the Energy Council conclusions of 16 June 2025.

Achieving Europe’s climate ambitions requires not only setting bold objectives but also ensuring that policy

frameworks are clear, efficient, and practical to implement. The Methane Regulation is a central element of the

EU’s climate strategy. Its success, however, will depend on minimizing unnecessary administrative burdens, while

being efficient, proportionate, and ensuring full coherence with existing legislation. In this context, we welcome the

Energy Council conclusions, which invited the Commission to explore options to simplify and ease implementation

of the Methane regulation, including through the forthcoming Energy Omnibus. It is equally important that the

Competitiveness Council provides its perspective on this Regulation, as a well-calibrated revision will be essential

to securing affordable energy while strengthening the competitiveness of European industry.

IOGP Europe has long supported methane reduction efforts, well before the adoption of the Regulation, and

remains fully committed to contributing to its success. At the same time, we share concerns expressed by several

Member States that certain provisions, as currently drafted, risk unintended consequences, such as undermining

energy resilience, raising costs, and complicating supply diversification, particularly as Europe phases out Russian

imports and reshapes its energy system.

We commend the Commission’s efforts to facilitate dialogue through technical workshops and coordination

meetings with Competent Authorities. Yet, as Member States have underlined, addressing the core challenges of

the Methane Regulation requires more than discussion: they must be resolved through implementing measures,

secondary legislation, and, where necessary, targeted amendments to the primary legislation.

To ensure that the Regulation delivers its environmental objectives while remaining feasible in practice, we

respectfully recommend targeted adjustments, including:

 Introducing alternatives in primary legislation and providing flexible compliance pathways where the

Regulation sets technically unfeasible or disproportionate requirements (both for domestic production and

imports);

 Ensuring legal certainty by clarifying obligations and allowing sufficient time and flexibility for

implementation;

 Adjusting disproportionate penalty provisions (such as the potential fine of up to 20% of annual turnover

for legal entities) to better reflect realistic compliance progress and available options.

We reaffirm our strong commitment to methane emission reductions and respectfully urge the Commission and

Member States to make full use of available instruments, including the Energy Omnibus, to simplify and facilitate

the implementation of the EU Methane Regulation. We remain ready to work with you to achieve our shared climate

and competitiveness objectives.

Yours sincerely,

François-Régis Mouton de Lostalot

Managing Director, IOGP Europe

IOGP Europe is registered as an ASBL under Belgian Law. Company number 0759.579.581. Registered office: 188A Avenue de Tervueren, B-1150 Brussels, Belgium

To: Competitiveness Council (Internal Market, Industry) Cc: Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (COMPGRO)

25th September 2025, Brussels

Integrating the EU Methane Regulation into the EU Simplification Agenda

Dear Ministers,

Ahead of the Competitiveness Council meeting on 29 September, we would like to share our recommendations

regarding the inclusion of the EU Methane Regulation within the EU Simplification Agenda.

The agenda of the meeting foresees a presentation by the Executive Vice-President Séjourné on the annual

progress report on simplification, followed by an exchange of views. We believe this discussion provides a timely

opportunity to ensure that the Methane Regulation is considered as part of the broader simplification efforts, as per

the Energy Council conclusions of 16 June 2025.

Achieving Europe’s climate ambitions requires not only setting bold objectives but also ensuring that policy

frameworks are clear, efficient, and practical to implement. The Methane Regulation is a central element of the

EU’s climate strategy. Its success, however, will depend on minimizing unnecessary administrative burdens, while

being efficient, proportionate, and ensuring full coherence with existing legislation. In this context, we welcome the

Energy Council conclusions, which invited the Commission to explore options to simplify and ease implementation

of the Methane regulation, including through the forthcoming Energy Omnibus. It is equally important that the

Competitiveness Council provides its perspective on this Regulation, as a well-calibrated revision will be essential

to securing affordable energy while strengthening the competitiveness of European industry.

IOGP Europe has long supported methane reduction efforts, well before the adoption of the Regulation, and

remains fully committed to contributing to its success. At the same time, we share concerns expressed by several

Member States that certain provisions, as currently drafted, risk unintended consequences, such as undermining

energy resilience, raising costs, and complicating supply diversification, particularly as Europe phases out Russian

imports and reshapes its energy system.

We commend the Commission’s efforts to facilitate dialogue through technical workshops and coordination

meetings with Competent Authorities. Yet, as Member States have underlined, addressing the core challenges of

the Methane Regulation requires more than discussion: they must be resolved through implementing measures,

secondary legislation, and, where necessary, targeted amendments to the primary legislation.

To ensure that the Regulation delivers its environmental objectives while remaining feasible in practice, we

respectfully recommend targeted adjustments, including:

 Introducing alternatives in primary legislation and providing flexible compliance pathways where the

Regulation sets technically unfeasible or disproportionate requirements (both for domestic production and

imports);

 Ensuring legal certainty by clarifying obligations and allowing sufficient time and flexibility for

implementation;

 Adjusting disproportionate penalty provisions (such as the potential fine of up to 20% of annual turnover

for legal entities) to better reflect realistic compliance progress and available options.

We reaffirm our strong commitment to methane emission reductions and respectfully urge the Commission and

Member States to make full use of available instruments, including the Energy Omnibus, to simplify and facilitate

the implementation of the EU Methane Regulation. We remain ready to work with you to achieve our shared climate

and competitiveness objectives.

Yours sincerely,

François-Régis Mouton de Lostalot

Managing Director, IOGP Europe