Romania to ask Commission to rethink methane emissions reduction proposal

1 year ago 50

Bucharest intends to ask the European Commission to revise the proposed legislation to reduce methane emissions because Romania would face high costs compared to other member states, as Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja announced on Tuesday.

The new proposal will result in over €1 billion expenses for Romania, impacting both industries and consumers.

“We will fight for the final version of the regulation to take into account Romania’s unique circumstances”, Burduja said at the Romanian International Gas Conference 2023, adding that he is going to discuss with all member states and institutional actors.

In December 2022, the Council reached an agreement (general approach) on a proposal to track and reduce methane emissions in the energy sector, as methane is a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for about 30% of current global warming.

The proposal introduces new requirements for the oil, gas and coal sectors to measure, report and verify methane emissions (MRV) at the highest standard.

Operators must carefully document all wells and mines, trace their emissions and take appropriate mitigation measures to prevent and minimise methane emissions in their operations.

Burduja said Romania has to monitor over 60,000 wells. Maintaining the current form of the Regulation would adversely affect the competitiveness of the Romanian economy and burden its citizens.

The second-largest producer of oil and gas in the EU, Romania is among the Union countries with the highest reported annual methane emissions from the energy sector, according to a scientific study coordinated by UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, Utrecht University and Environmental Defense Fund.

(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)