Ecologic Institute, with the support of CAN Europe, presents a new report on penalty regimes for violations of the EU Methane Regulation in selected EU Member States.
Europe’s first-ever EU Methane Regulation (EU-MER) represents a landmark step in regulating methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector. Its success, however, depends on robust, transparent, and enforceable penalty regimes implemented by all Member States. Without clear penalty rules, compliant companies face unfair competition from non-compliant companies uncertainty, and regulators struggle to ensure compliance.
The report examines how national penalty regimes in selected Member States (Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Italy and Romania) are currently designed, highlighting examples of good practice as well as areas where draft or existing rules fall short of EU-MER requirements. The study also debunks claims that penalties would create “unmanageable liability” for companies. In reality, well-defined rules ensure legal certainty, predictability, and a level playing field across the EU. Finally, it proposes ways the Commission could provide evidence-based guidance to help Member States design effective and aligned penalty regimes and facilitate a consistent enforcement.
By ensuring that penalties are proportionate, dissuasive, and consistently applied, Member States can create a framework that encourages compliance and supports the EU’s broader climate and energy goals. Clear, enforceable penalties are essential to translating the promise of the EU-MER into real reductions in methane emissions.
Read the full report here.
