European Union Methane Regulation: Verification & Reporting Protocol

ABOUT THE VERIFICATION & REPORTING PROTOCOL

Starting January 1, 2027, the European Union will require importers of natural gas and crude oil to prove that these supplies are produced under methane monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards equivalent to those applied within the EU. This regulation has implications for global gas and LNG suppliers, as well as for gas buyers in other regions.

The EU Methane Regulation (EUMR) is the first regulation of its kind in the world, and it places a central challenge on independent third-party verification of emissions data. Even for companies aligned with OGMP 2.0, the EUMR requires verification at a “reasonable assurance” level. However, the regulation provides limited guidance on how “reasonable assurance” should be achieved, providing space for an independent verification protocol to take shape.

Our Initiative

The University of Texas at Austin—drawing on extensive expertise in methane emissions measurement, OGMP alignment, and global energy supply chains—has developed draft protocols to fill this space. These protocols are designed to ensure clarity, consistency, credibility, and comparability in methane reporting and verification worldwide.

We are creating two companion tools that work together:

1. Verification Protocol – A step-by-step process for independent third-party verifiers, based on international assurance standards (ISO 14064-3, ISO 14065, ISO/IEC 17029) and EU precedents.

   • Defines competence, impartiality, and quality requirements for verifiers.

   • Sets clear rules for engagement scope, assurance level, site visits, and materiality thresholds.

   • Provides templates for risk assessment, evidence gathering, and reporting.

2. Provisional Reporting Protocol – An assurance-ready reporting framework for producers.

   • Defines exactly what to include in methane inventories and site-level checks.

   • Establishes reconciliation rules for bottom-up and top-down data.

   • Specifies data elements for EUMR compliance.

Without these protocols, two equally skilled verifiers could review the same data and reach different conclusions—undermining confidence in compliance claims.