New statute and new department of the State Mining Authority

At the request of the President of the SMA, the Minister of Industry granted a new statute to the State Mining Authority as of 1 April 2025. With its entry into force, the SMA's organisational structure has changed. A new organisational unit is called the Department for the Supervision of Methane Emissions and the Management of Orogen.

The rationale for the establishment of this department is the new tasks of mining supervision in connection with the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/942.

The Regulation pertains to releasing free methane into the atmosphere from all industries, distribution, storage, and import of high-methane gas and crude oil from outside the EU. This normative act aims to reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere and reverse the global warming trend. In this regard, the President of the SMA has been designated as the competent national authority to ensure that operators, importers and traders effectively fulfil their obligations.

The Department of Methane Emissions Supervision and Management of Orogen will primarily supervise methane emissions from active mining facilities (underground, open-pit and borehole) and gas and oil storage and transmission systems. It will analyse reports from operators and verifiers. These reports are essential to the activities - they are sent to the relevant EC services. In addition, it will directly supervise the entities referred to in the Regulation by performing inspections, drawing up analyses and, in some instances, carrying out the necessary measurements. The Regulation also regulates the imposition of penalties for unacceptable or excessive methane emissions into the atmosphere.

The new tasks of the President of the SMA are an important element of European and global policy aimed at reducing climate change in the long term. These actions require experienced and highly qualified staff and resources.