European Commission sets new standards for certifying permanent carbon removals

The European Commission has adopted the first set of methodologies for certifying permanent carbon removals under the EU’s Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) framework, marking a consequential step towards creating a more comparable and auditable voluntary market for removal credits across the bloc. Announced in Brussels on 3 February, the delegated regulation establishes how independent certification bodies should measure, verify and attest to the permanence, quantification and sustainability of three removal pathways: Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS), Biogenic Emissions Capture with Carbon Storage (BioCCS) and biochar carbon removal. According to edie, the aim is to distinguish genuinely permanent storage from shorter-lived, nature-based approaches such as afforestation, where reversals are more likely.

For each pathway the methodologies set out explicit requirements: what must be monitored, how volumes removed are calculated, how long-term storage is demonstrated and how risks such as leakage, liability and unintended environmental impacts must be addressed. Certification schemes will be required to show how projects avoid negative ecological effects while ensuring CO2 remains sequestered over long time horizons. The Commission will assess applications from schemes seeking recognition using a standardised protocol to be published by the Directorate‑General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), in line with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2358 on certification bodies and audits.

The adopted measure now enters a statutory scrutiny phase. The delegated regulation will be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council for two months of review, with the possibility of a further two‑month extension. If neither institution objects, publication in the Official Journal is expected in early April, with the text entering into force 20 days thereafter. Once active, certification schemes may apply to the Commission to be formally recognised against one or more CRCF methodologies.

The move follows months of political groundwork. The Council approved a certification framework for permanent removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products in November 2024, and negotiators from the Council and European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the regulation in February 2024. According to the Commission, the CRCF is intended to support climate innovation, attract investment into removal technologies and reduce greenwashing by bringing legal clarity and common quality thresholds across the European Economic Area.

Brussels has tied the framework to its own decarbonisation planning. In a December 2025 communication the Commission said it is considering purchasing CRCF‑certified removal credits to offset residual emissions from EU operations by 2030, subject to the framework becoming operational; any pilot acquisitions would depend on recognised, certified credits being available. To stimulate early demand and help scale removals, the Commission has announced an EU Buyers’ Club for permanent removals and carbon farming under the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and is exploring mechanisms to mobilise public and private finance. The European Innovation Council and the Innovation Fund are already providing project support.

Further subordinate rules are scheduled for 2026. The Commission is preparing two additional delegated regulations: one detailing methodologies for carbon farming activities such as regenerative agriculture, agroforestry and peatland rewetting, with the aim of enabling result‑based payments for farmers and foresters; the other addressing carbon storage in bio‑based construction products, to allow owners to demonstrate and monetise storage performance and to promote circular bioeconomy practices in the built environment.

The CRCF’s arrival also sits within a broader international effort to raise the integrity of voluntary carbon markets. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement was given operational detail at COP29 in 2024, enabling cross‑border transfers of emissions outcomes, and at COP30 in Brazil in November 2025 a group of countries endorsed a set of Shared Principles to guide corporate use of credits. According to reporting on the COP30 outcome, the principles , which include using credits in addition to direct emissions cuts, applying rigorous quality standards and maintaining transparent reporting , have been endorsed by several governments and form part of a wider Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets.

For businesses active in industrial decarbonisation, the new methodologies will matter for buyer confidence and supply‑chain accounting. Industry data and legal commentary indicate the CRCF requires third‑party verification by member state–approved certification bodies, and that eligible activities must demonstrate quantified net removal benefits, additionality and long‑term storage. The framework’s voluntary nature means uptake will depend on demand from public and private purchasers, the availability and cost of certified removals, and how the rules interact with other EU instruments covering land‑use accounting and product carbon claims.

While the framework sets a legalised structure for certifying permanence and addressing common integrity concerns, practical challenges remain: scaling high‑quality DACCS and BioCCS projects, ensuring robust monitoring over multi‑decadal timeframes, allocating liability for potential reversals, and integrating removal credits into credible corporate decarbonisation strategies that prioritise direct emissions cuts. The CRCF provides a governance scaffold; whether it catalyses the level of market activity and investment needed to deliver industrial‑scale removals will depend on how quickly recognised certification schemes emerge, buyer confidence builds and public finance is mobilised to bridge early commercial gaps.