On 6 May 2025, the European Commission (EC) presented its plan for full energy independence from Russia. Biomethane figures prominently in the document, recognising strides made since the energy crisis but also that further interventions are required.
In the unveiling of the REPowerEU Roadmap, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledge a recent rebound in Russian gas imports, highlighting the need for a comprehensive plan to overcome energy dependency.
In 2024, 52 bcm of natural gas were imported from Russia, accounting for 19% of the total imports, with ten Member States responsible for this volume. While this represents a reduction from the 45% share reported in 2021, additional efforts will be necessary to eliminate reliance altogether by the target year 2027.
Much like the original REPowerEU plan, biomethane is mentioned explicitly in the roadmap. Relevant actions include:
The roadmap outlines that the EU will require Member States to provide diversification options, which should include domestic biomethane production. To drive this forward, the recommendation calls for Member States to submit their first national plans for phase-out by the end of 2025. These plans are expected to demonstrate concrete steps for reducing dependency on Russian gas, with biomethane production highlighted as a critical element for achieving national energy diversification.
While the text appears to primarily allude to diversifying pipeline and LNG sources biogas and biomethane are acknowledged. The application of the AggregateEU mechanism to biomethane is mentioned here.
Furthermore, a successor to the Biomethane Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) is also proposed, envisaged as a “biogas network of Member States as part of a tripartite contract to better address the diverging needs”. This suggests a greater focus on policy and legislative alignment, although the timeline for this to occur is not clear, particularly given the BIP is still ongoing with no set end date.
The Commission is also looking to remove hurdles to cross-border trading in Southeastern Europe, working under the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) group in partnership with the Energy community. However, the focus here is expected to be primarily on fossil gas, with biomethane indirectly benefiting due to the shared infrastructure.
The next step for the Commission will be to prepare legislative proposals aimed at implementing these Roadmap actions.
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