EU agrees on new carbon removals laws

Operators will be liable for leaks back into the atmosphere under rules designed to give clarity to industry

A new set of EU laws has set out clear monitoring obligations and liability rules for direct air CCS (DACCS) and bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) operators in the region. The EU Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF) has been agreed by the European Council and European Parliament. Although it is not yet law, the agreement means it is highly likely to enter the statute book. The framework establishes the first definition for carbon removal in EU policy and ensures that only the permanent storage of atmospheric or biogenic CO₂ can qualify as permanent carbon removal. The framework establishes four different types of activities to be covered by the framework—emission reductions in soils, temp