The foundation and rationale: why the EU requires MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) for gas and crude imports as of 2027

· Core elements of the draft verification protocol (competence, impartiality, scope, assurance levels, site visits, risk assessment, evidence gathering)

· Integration with the companion provisional reporting protocol, including how bottom-up and top-down reconciliation work

· Challenges and open issues (e.g., defining “reasonable assurance,” handling uncertainty, consistency across verifiers, and regional variations)