Greenpeace Exposes Gas Industry Wasting Energy in Violation of EU Ban Amid Energy Crisis

The Investigation

Greenpeace installed monitoring cameras at key gas facilities in Hungary and Croatia (Dugo Selo and Ivanić-Grad) shortly before the February deadline in 2026. By capturing images every 90 seconds, activists documented persistent flaring throughout February, well after the legal ban took effect. This on-the-ground evidence was cross-referenced with VIIRS Nightfire satellite data, which tracks the heat signatures of gas flares from space. While satellite data can be affected by factors such as cloud cover, the available findings indicate that flaring has continued since the deadline, confirming that these are not isolated incidents but a widespread failure to comply with EU law.

Wasting Energy Amidst a Crisis

While citizens across the region face rising costs and potential gas shortages, the fossil fuel industry is literally burning away vital resources. The routine flaring documented in this investigation represents a massive, preventable waste of energy.

“Aren’t our governments hypocritical? Talking about energy security, but at the same time letting companies waste energy to avoid the cost of compliance. It is an economic and social failure, and a hugely irresponsible act”, said Dr. Eszter Mátyás, climate campaigner at Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe Network.

Key Findings:

• Widespread Non-Compliance: Routine flaring continues at multiple sites despite a total EU ban. In Hungary, at the fracking site, equipment to stop flaring was already on-site by the deadline, but remained unused, while in Croatia, flaring persists dangerously close to residential areas.
• Systemic Failure: Satellite analysis recorded 205 detections in Hungary and 71 in Croatia in the weeks following the ban, proving that the "5 February deadline" has had no meaningful impact on corporate behavior.
• Brussels Backsliding: The findings emerge as the European Commission faces backlash over undisclosed talks with fossil fuel lobbyists. Leaked documents suggest the Commission may weaken methane rules just as evidence proves non-compliance is already widespread.

The Impact of Flaring on Climate & Health

The investigation highlights a double threat to the climate and public health. Routine flaring is the practice of burning off associated gas during normal oil and gas production rather than capturing it. This usually happens because an operator chooses not to invest in the necessary infrastructure to utilize the gas. 

While flaring is intended to burn off methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming potential of CO2, the process is often inefficient, allowing significant amounts of unburnt methane to escape into the atmosphere. Furthermore, a complete combustion process produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an incomplete combustion process produces nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), resulting in the total waste of usable fossil gas. This practice exposes local communities to toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) and accelerates the climate crisis.

Greenpeace Demands

Greenpeace calls on EU member states and the European Commission to:

1. Enforce the Ban: Immediately penalize operators violating the February 5 deadline to stop the waste of energy and protect public health. Governments must ensure enforcement authorities are fully empowered to uphold the law. 
2. Resist Lobbying: Stop "backroom deals" aimed at weakening the Methane Regulation under industry pressure. 
3. Phase Out Gas: Commit to a full phase-out of fossil gas by 2035 to ensure true energy security through renewables and efficiency. As the energy crisis shows, reliance on fossil fuels leaves countries exposed to volatile prices and supply risks.

“Our investigation is essential to provide independent data, as operators do not always report emissions accurately, and enforcement can be inconsistent,” added Mátyás. “We are prepared to submit additional evidence to authorities where ongoing flaring is documented. In the interest of citizens, this harmful and wasteful practice must stop immediately.”

Note to Editors:

• EU Methane Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 mandates the end of routine flaring by 5 February 2026. Operators who flare gas after the deadline or fail to properly report their emissions can face penalties under EU law. 
• Visual Evidence: High-resolution images of flaring events and satellite heat maps are available for download.