On June 23, Algeria signed a joint open letter calling for a review of the European Union methane regulation, addressed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the leaders of the European Union member states, according to what was reported Thursday in a statement by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons.
This step, the statement explains, is an embodiment of Algeria’s strategic position as a major supplier and a reliable partner to the European Union in the field of energy, and evidence of its firm keenness to ensure security of supplies and to promote a constructive dialogue with European partners.
The joint letter was signed by Mohamed Arkab, Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Saad Cherida Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs of the State of Qatar, Ekperekebe Ekpo, Minister of State in charge of Petroleum Resources (Gas) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy of the United States of America.
This letter calls for urgent and necessary measures to be taken to clarify and amend the European Union Regulation on Methane Emissions (EUMR), in light of the objective inability of a large proportion of oil and gas exports destined for the European market to meet the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements in the timetable stipulated starting in January 2027, which will inevitably lead to supply disruptions and an unjustified rise in energy prices.
Among the main demands contained in the letter is the adoption of a “Stop the Clock” mechanism, to give sufficient time to formulate the necessary methodologies and compliance paths that suit all parties, ensuring the protection of new contracts (grandfathering) concluded during the period of making the necessary legislative amendments, given the long-term nature of these contracts and their financial size, and lifting the penalties resulting from non-compliance during the transitional phase, the ministry adds.
In this context, the source notes, “Algeria confirmed that Sonatrach and its oil and gas producing partners have made concrete efforts and made significant investments in the field of reducing methane emissions, and that they are continuing to strengthen these efforts, in full harmony with the objectives of the European regulation and Algeria’s international obligations.”
In a statement on the occasion of this signing, the Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, confirmed that “Algeria is engaging in this collective initiative based on a well-established strategic partnership with the European Union, and that its fundamental goal is to support European energy security and ensure continuity of supplies, calling for a pragmatic approach that balances the requirements of environmental sustainability and the necessities of energy security.”
The Ministry of Hydrocarbons confirms, and the same statement adds, that “Algeria will continue its active presence in the dialogue with European institutions and member states, with the aim of reaching a balanced regulatory framework that safeguards the common interests of all parties.”
