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Providing the views and points of particular relevance from the viewpoint of local and regional authorities in relation to the following legislative proposals:

• DIRECTIVE on common rules for the internal markets in renewable and natural gases and in hydrogen - COM(2021) 803 final
• REGULATION on the internal markets for renewable and natural gases and for hydrogen (recast) - COM(2021) 804 final
• REGULATION on methane emissions reduction in the energy sector and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942 - COM(2021) 805 final

• stresses the need to protect consumers from high prices and to guarantee security of energy supply for them;
• taking energy security issues into account, there is the need to quickly establish a common framework for the phasing-out of natural gas;
• calls for avoiding the creation of stranded assets;
• draws attention to the possibility of introducing guarantees of origin for low-carbon and renewable gases;
• calls for the expansion of ENTSOG's remit to cover the development of a low-carbon and renewable gas market instead of setting up the separate ENNOH organisation for this purpose;
• calls for an assessment of the long-term potential of biogas and biomethane production at regional level;
• recommends the establishment of a common methodology for monitoring methane emissions;
• draws attention to the need to extend the mandatory deadlines indicated in the Methane Regulation by 9 or 12 months in order to ensure that Member States are better prepared.

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS



- stresses the need to protect consumers from high prices and to guarantee security of energy supply for them. This is particularly important in the current geopolitical context;

- taking energy security issues into account the Union should phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible, including natural gas, and achieve a highly energy-efficient and predominantly renewable-based economy. Therefore, there is the need to quickly establish a common framework for the phasing-out of natural gas;

- calls for the expansion of ENTSOG's remit to cover the development of a low-carbon and renewable gas market instead of setting up the separate ENNOH organisation for this purpose;

- calls for an assessment of the long-term potential of biogas and biomethane production at regional level, on the basis of which it will be possible to identify the regional development potential of the decarbonised gas ecosystem;

- recommends the establishment of a common methodology for monitoring methane emissions, which will allow the launch of coordinated efforts to reduce methane emissions in the EU.