On 20 February, Council and European Parliament negotiators reached a provisional political agreement on a regulation to establish the first EU-level certification framework for carbon removals. The voluntary framework is intended to facilitate and speed up the deployment of high-quality carbon removal and soil emission reduction activities in the EU.

The agreement distinguishes “permanent carbon removal” – such as direct air capture (DAC) and bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) – as that deemed capable of storing CO2 for several centuries, and “temporary carbon storage in long-lasting products” as – such as wood-based construction – as that which has a duration of at least 35 years.

The EU’s new framework includes, as well, two additional types of carbon removals:

• Temporary carbon storage from carbon farming, such as restoring forests and soil, wetland management, seagrass meadows (minimum five years).
• Soil emission reduction obtained from carbon farming, such as wetland management, no tilling and cover crop practises (minimum five years).

To be certified, the carbon removal activities also need to meet the four overarching criteria: quantification, additionality, long-term storage and sustainability.

Next Steps: The provisional agreement will now be submitted for endorsement to the member states’ representatives in the Council and to the Parliament’s environment committee. If approved, the text will then need to be formally adopted by both institutions, following revision by lawyer-linguists, before it can be published in the EU’s Official Journal and enter into force.

EU Council Press release: available here

EU Commission Press Release: available here