In a third revision of its draft conclusions on energy security, drawn up on Tuesday 27 May and discussed by the Energy Working Party on 28 May, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU gave the example of the Methane Regulation (see EUROPE 13453/26) as a legislative text that could be simplified as part of an ‘omnibus’ procedure aimed at reducing the administrative burden of certain texts in the field of energy.
The document points out that this Regulation, which aims to reduce methane emissions from the production and import of fossil fuels in the EU, could be simplified, as it “might impact the cooperation with economic operators from outside of the EU”.
A number of voices have been raised in recent weeks, notably in the European Parliament (see EUROPE 13646/15), calling for the constraints of the Regulation not to be relaxed, particularly in favour of US imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), against a backdrop of ever-increasing trade tensions.
The countries pushing for a simplification of this Regulation, including Hungary and Slovakia, are concerned that LNG exporters to the EU will not be able to meet the requirements of the Regulation.
References were also added in the draft conclusions to the diversification of energy supplies, in particular the need to support the diversification efforts of landlocked Member States “by strengthening alternative supply routes”.
The new version also places greater emphasis on strengthening inter-regional energy connectivity and the need to respond to the deployment of new cross-border infrastructures in several European regions.
The Presidency must also strike a balance between those countries, such as France and Slovakia, that want to see a reference to “technological neutrality”, and those that are opposed. This version deletes a previous reference to exploring the “potential of all innovative and technology neutral solutions”. Consideration could be given to incorporating the term ‘clean tech’ instead.
Finally, the new document emphasises the need to ensure coordination between “research, development, market uptake of innovation and EU industrial strategies”, and calls for a ‘strategic roadmap’ for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector to be presented by 2026.
To see the document: https://aeur.eu/f/h3x (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)