IETA’s recommendations for the implementation of the EU Carbon Removals Carbon Farming Regulation

BRUSSELS, 5 February –

IETA has today published a set of recommendations for the implementation of the European Union’s Carbon Removals Carbon Farming Regulation (EU CRCF), after the regulation entered into force at the end of 2024.

These recommendations aim to ensure a robust and efficient rollout of the first EU-wide certification framework for high-quality carbon removals.

The EU CRCF is the first framework for the certification of high-quality carbon removal units in the EU, from engineered solutions to nature-based removals and storage in long-lasting products.

The European Commission is now working to set out the methodologies for carbon removal activities under the scope of the CRCF, as well as the technical rules for the functioning of the framework.

“For the CRCF to facilitate the scale-up of carbon removals and to drive investment in high-quality removals, we urgently need clarity on end-uses for the temporary and permanent credits that would be issued under the regulation,” said Svea Nyberg, EU Policy Officer at IETA.

IETA recommends that the implementation process should be designed to make best use of the existing market infrastructure, to take global developments into consideration, and to ensure that the CRCF registry is compatible with the EU ETS Registry.

Furthermore, IETA calls on the Commission to provide comprehensive guidance on the necessary administrative processes to apply for EU CRCF certification for operators and project developers.

“A swift and effective implementation will require a clear roadmap for the secondary legislation to be prepared before the framework becomes operational in 2026,” Nyberg added.

How CRCF units will be recognised and used in corporate environmental claims will be further clarified in the ongoing EU Green Claims Directive, and the Commission is expected to publish a report by July 2026 assessing how permanent negative emissions could be covered by emissions trading.

Read the recommendations.