Carbon Removal Certification Framework. EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification (CRCF) Regulation

Reaching climate neutrality in Europe by mid-century requires minimising our greenhouse gas emissions and removing any unavoidable emissions from the atmosphere. Find out below how carbon removals and carbon farming can help the EU achieve its 2050 climate target.

On 10 April 2024, the European Parliament adopted the provisional agreement on the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation, which created the first EU-wide voluntary framework for certifying carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products across Europe.

By establishing EU quality criteria and laying down monitoring and reporting processes, the CRCF Regulation will facilitate investment in innovative carbon removal technologies, as well as sustainable carbon farming solutions, while addressing greenwashing.

Permanent carbon removal refers to human activities removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it securely and durably for several centuries. Some examples include:

• Direct air carbon capture with storage (DACCS);

• Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and other biomass-based methods (BioCCS);

• Chemically binding CO2 permanently into products;

• Other technological solutions that lead to permanent storage.

Related EU support & funding

• Horizon  Europe: The Commission supports research, development and innovation for permanent carbon removal technologies mainly through Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, and Mobility) of the Horizon Europe programme.

• European Innovation Council: The European Innovation Council supports breakthrough technologies at every stage, from early research to scale-up of start-ups and SMEs. 

• Innovation Fund: The Innovation Fund is one of the world's largest funding programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies, including permanent carbon removals.

• State aid: EU countries may support carbon removal technology through state aid, subject to specific conditions outlined in the Commission’s Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy 2022.

Fuente: EU Commission