Kazakhstan and Guyana join coalition urging EU methane rule delay

Kazakhstan and Guyana have signed on with Algeria, Nigeria, Qatar and the United States in a joint letter calling on the European Union to delay implementation of the EU Methane Regulation and to make targeted changes that remove unnecessary barriers to energy exports into Europe.

U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Kaveh Farzad said, "American energy exports play a vital role in supporting our allies and driving economic growth." The Department noted the European Parliament's move to advance a three-year delay of EUMR implementation as a step forward and urged swift final adoption through trilogue negotiations among the European Parliament, Council and Commission.

The six signatories argue that significant gaps remain in the regulation's reporting, verification and compliance framework. They warn that continued delays in establishing these requirements leave producers and importers without the clarity needed to comply, putting Europe's energy security, competitiveness and access to reliable supplies at risk.

In 2025, Kazakhstan, the United States, Nigeria and Guyana together accounted for roughly 37% of EU crude-oil imports by volume, while Algeria, Qatar, Nigeria and the United States were collectively responsible for approximately nearly 50% of EU natural-gas imports, including LNG.

The coalition was launched in a June 24,2026 open letter by Algeria, Nigeria, Qatar and the United States. The addition of Kazakhstan and Guyana expands the group across Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North America and South America, strengthening the international call for a pragmatic approach to EUMR implementation.