Coalition calls on European Commission to include renewable gas imports in Union Database

In Belgium, in a joint statement, Eurogas and 55 organisations from across the global renewable gas supply chain, have called on the European Commission to urgently address barriers preventing their full recognition in the Union Database (UDB). Without immediate action, the industry coalition has warned that significant volumes of renewable energy risks exclusion from EU markets, jeopardising progress towards climate targets and trade relations.

The European Commission first introduced the UDB for transport fuels in 2018 to track sustainable gaseous and liquid fuels moving to and across the EU. Extended to all end uses in 2023, this tool’s purpose is to enable policymakers to better trace the renewable gases and liquids circulating through the EU, improve market transparency and give a better understanding of how the sector is contributing towards decarbonization targets.

Though the renewable gas sector supports the aims of the UDB, the grid mass balancing mechanism that this uses only applies to EU-integrated grids, according to the European Commission’s interpretation. This means that third-country imports of sustainable biomethane, biomethane-based fuels, and other renewable gases—including from key partners such as the U.K., Ukraine, the U.S., Canada—cannot be recognized for compliance with the EU’s renewable energy targets.