Socialist MEPs demand hard one-year cap on methane regulation delay

Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen sparked the controversy last week by suggesting a twelve-month postponement of the rules, which are currently slated to take effect on 1 January 2027. This pivot followed sustained lobbying efforts from oil and gas corporations, the White House, and various member states concerned about supply chain disruptions.

In a letter dated 12 October, MEPs Mohammed Chahim, Tiemo Wölken, Jens Geier, Günther Sidl, and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin argued that any further concessions would compromise the regulation's core environmental objectives. By threatening to force a full withdrawal of the proposal, the socialist bloc is attempting to box in the Commission against potential efforts by national governments to secure indefinite or multi-year extensions.