With its Delegated Regulation of 3 February 2026 to Regulation (EU) 2024/3012, the European Commission has developed even further the European certification framework for CO₂ removals (link). In 2024, the basic regulation created the first EU-wide, voluntary framework for the certification of CO₂ removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in bio-based products (Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Framework, CRCF).
The delegated act that has now been adopted establishes specific certification methods for permanent CO₂ removals for the first time. The Commission is introducing the multi-stage CRCF framework, which will only become fully effective through implementing and delegated acts.
Procedure and legal effect
The delegated regulation has been forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Both institutions have two months to raise objections. If no objections are raised, the regulation will enter into force twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. This publication is expected in early April. In this case, it would be directly applicable and binding in all Member States.
Back in November 2025, the Commission had already laid down the institutional and procedural basis for the CRCF in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2358. Among other things, this Regulation defined requirements for certification systems, certification bodies, and testing and auditing procedures. The delegated regulation that has now been adopted supplements this governance framework with substantive criteria and specifies which CO₂ removal activities can be certified under which conditions.
Focus on technically mature CO₂ removal technologies
In terms of content, the delegated regulation initially focuses on technologies that the Commission considers to be comparatively mature and capable of making a relevant contribution to achieving long-term climate goals. Three categories of permanent CO₂ removal are covered:
- direct capture of CO₂ from the ambient air with subsequent geological storage (Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage, DACCS),
- capture and storage of biogenic emissions (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, BioCCS),
- and CO₂ removal through biochar (Biochar Carbon Removal, BCR).
For all three methods, the regulation defines uniform requirements that determine when a CO₂ removal can be recognised as permanent.
Requirements for permanence and integrity
Key elements of certification include requirements for quantifying the actual amounts of CO₂ removed, ensuring long-term storage, and managing risks such as leakage, reversibility, displacement effects, and liability issues. The methods define what counts as a certifiable tonne of CO₂ removal, how permanence is to be demonstrated, and what control and monitoring obligations apply.
According to the Commission, the regulations create a minimum standard for environmental integrity, increase transparency and make different projects comparable. At the same time, they are intended to limit the risk of greenwashing by formulating clear requirements for verification, auditing and liability.
Integration into EU climate policy
Certification remains explicitly voluntary. Nevertheless, the EU is establishing a common reference framework for project developers, investors and potential buyers of CO₂ removals for the first time. This creates the key conditions for the emergence of an EU-wide market for certified CO₂ removals.
Once the regulation comes into force, certification systems can apply to the European Commission for recognition of individual methods. The Commission will evaluate the certification systems using a standardised assessment protocol that is yet to be developed. This will be published on the website of the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA). In its press release, the Commission announced that the first projects could be certified and recognised in the coming months. The Commission believes that the standards will not only strengthen European climate protection but also set international benchmarks for credible CO₂ removals.
Outlook
The Commission has announced that it will present two further delegated regulations in 2026. These will regulate certification methods for carbon farming and for CO₂ storage in bio-based construction products. Together, this would create a comprehensive European framework for different forms of carbon management.
In order to stimulate the voluntary market for CRCF certificates, the Commission has also announced the establishment of an EU buyer club for permanent CO₂ removals and carbon farming as part of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. In addition, the European Innovation Council and the Innovation Fund support innovative projects for CO₂ removal.
