Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 establishing a Union certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products

What it is

to establish a new EU-wide certification framework for carbon removals. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: the EU has committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The first and most urgent priority is the reduction of EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, the EU needs to compensate for residual emissions that cannot be eliminated, by scaling up carbon removals , or in other words by removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This proposal for a carbon removals certification scheme is an important tool to achieve this goal. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Lídia PEREIRA (EPP, PT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Union certification framework for carbon removals. The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows: The objective of this Regulation is to facilitate and encourage the deployment and enhancement of carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products by operators or groups of operators as a complement to the irreversible and gradual reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors to meet the objectives and targets laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 and the goals of the Paris Agreement. A new article has been included on the rules on the issuance and use of units. It stated that carbon farming sequestration and emission reduction units should be issued by 31 December each year, provided that an annual monitoring check does not show any non-compliance with the requirements set out in this Regulation and does not show a reversal. The certification body should be responsible for the annual monitoring check based on reliable real-world data. A carbon storage in product activity should at least have a neutral impact on each of, and should generate co-benefits for at least one of, the following sustainability objectives: - the avoidance of the risk of carbon leakage in third countries; - sustainable use and protection or improvement of water quality and marine resources; - transition to a circular economy, including the efficient use of sustainably sourced bio-based materials; - protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. Platform on Carbon Removal, Carbon Farming and Carbon Storage in Product Activities Members called for the establishment of a Platform on Carbon removal and Carbon farming Activities which should, inter alia: - advise the Commission on the technical certification methodologies, including on the minimum sustainability requirements, as well as on the possible need to update those certification methodologies; - analyse the impact of the technical certification methodologies in terms of the potential costs and benefits of their application; - monitor and regularly report to the Commission on…

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