Brussels, 22 October 2026 – As MEPs vote on delaying the landmark climate law today, Fossil Free Politics research exposes how the relentless lobbying of the fossil fuel industry during the last 1,5 year has led to this moment.
The European Parliament is set to vote today on delaying the EU Methane Regulation, one of the EU’s key climate laws1. Adopted in 2024 with a large majority, the law is now at risk of further delay, after the European Commission proposed postponing key obligations for fossil fuel importers by one year.
A new report by Fossil Free Politics reveals how the fossil fuel industry’s relentless lobbying – fuelled by fearmongering over rising energy prices and threats to security of supply – helped to bring the law to this point.
The findings reveal a familiar pattern: the fossil fuel industry has once again mobilised its immense lobbying power to roll back climate protections. During the record-breaking heatwaves, forest fires and droughts of summer 2026, EU decision-makers continued opening their doors to the very industry driving the climate crisis.
The report, Gutting the EU’s Methane Rules: How the Fossil Fuel Industry Is Lobbying to Weaken a Landmark Climate Law, shows that:
- More than 80% of the European Commission’s meetings with external interest representatives on the Methane Regulation involved fossil fuel lobbyists between January 2025 and July 2026.
- Oil and gas companies and their business associations met the Commission on average every week in the past 18 months.
- The lobbying has also reached the European Parliament: all 17 MEPs who called for the regulation to be reopened in a letter to the Commission in April 2026 had met fossil fuel lobbyists in the preceding year.
- Meanwhile, 17 EU Member States urged the Commission to delay the rules by three years, with their joint position closely mirroring fossil fuel industry statements – you can find a word for word comparison in the research.
- Their campaign was fuelled by unsubstantiated warnings of rising energy prices and threats to security of supply. The industry also commissioned a Wood Mackenzie report criticised for incorrect assumptions and misinterpretations of the regulation.
- US fossil fuel interests, including the American Petroleum Institute, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, played a significant role. Beyond direct lobbying, US fossil fuel interests leveraged their political influence in Washington, mobilising the Trump administration, Congress and US diplomatic representatives to pressure the EU to weaken or delay the law.
“As Europe faces devastating climate impacts, it is shocking how the EU has opened its doors so widely to the very industry driving the climate crisis. The Commission met every week with the industry, member states are echoing the industry’s arguments and all the MEPs that called for the delay have been meeting with the industry. It’s time to stop the fossil fuel industry from hijacking democratic decision making. ”- said Kim Claes, Friends of the Earth Europe.
The report shows that EU institutions must end privileged access for fossil fuel lobbyists, allowing contact only where strictly necessary for effective regulation and under full transparency. As MEPs vote on Thursday and Member States consider the delay, they must ensure that industry pressure does not dictate the future of a crucial climate law.
The complete research is available here: Gutting the EU’s Methane Rules: How the Fossil Fuel Industry Is Lobbying to Weaken a Landmark Climate Law, Fossil Free Politics, October 2026.