A new serious crisis threatens Europe's energy security after Washington openly warned that American blue fuel could be redirected to other markets.
What is the reason for the clash?
The bone of contention is the new EU Methane Regulation, the implementation of which for imported fuels begins in stages.
- Requirements: From 2027, foreign oil and gas suppliers must demonstrate that they implement rigorous monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of methane leaks equivalent to those in the EU. Mandatory emission intensity caps are also introduced from 2030.
- The problem for the US: The US gas industry is highly fragmented — The gas is extracted by hundreds of independent operators in different basins, then mixed into a common pipeline network along the East Coast. According to Washington, tracking the exact carbon footprint of each gas molecule is technically impractical and economically prohibitive.
Coalition of exporters against Brussels
The pressure on the EU does not come only from Washington. The United States, together with other key exporters such as Qatar, Nigeria and Algeria have sent a formal open letter to European leaders urging a "pragmatic approach" and urgent changes to the law.
The four countries form the vast majority of Europe's LNG import portfolio. They warn that companies are already buying and storing volumes of gas intended for delivery in 2027, but there is no clear legal mechanism for these quantities to be certified as compliant with European standards. According to Wood Mackenzie research, nearly half of current EU gas imports are at risk of being blocked due to non-compliance with the rules.
How dependent is Europe?
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 and the gradual cessation of Russian pipeline supplies, the EU has become critically dependent on transatlantic liquefied natural gas. The US share of total EU LNG imports has averaged nearly 60%.
"Without meaningful reform of this rule, it will cause serious and completely unnecessary pain to Europe," US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Bloomberg on the sidelines of a conference in New York. "This is not about escalating tensions. Our energy will flow. It will simply flow elsewhere.
Chris Wright noted that if the rules are not rewritten, European countries face a real risk of blackouts or heating problems in the coming winters.
The European Union's response
European Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen has already said that Brussels will resist pressure from the US and other exporters. Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after CO₂, and capturing its leaks is a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal.
While the European Commission is considering a compromise option to temporarily freeze or postpone financial fines for companies in case of violations, suppliers categorically reject this half-way solution. According to them, the problem lies in the legal obligation itself, which prevents the conclusion of long-term commercial contracts.
The topic will be hotly debated at the upcoming meeting of EU energy ministers in Luxembourg.