Europe adopts its first carbon removal certification framework

On 3 February 2026, the European Commission adopted the first delegated act of the CRCF — Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Framework (Regulation EU 2024/3012). It is the first European framework for certifying carbon removals, and it shapes what "high quality" will mean in Europe for the coming decade.

What is it about?

Adopted in December 2024, the CRCF establishes a voluntary certification system covering three families of activity: permanent removals (direct air capture, biochar, BioCCS), carbon farming (soil carbon, agroforestry, peatland restoration… and afforestation), and storage in durable products.

The first methodologies adopted in February 2026 target permanent removals: DACCS, BioCCS and biochar. The delegated act was published in the Official Journal on 17 April 2026, entering into force on 7 May 2026.

Afforestation, expected in summer 2026

The carbon farming methodologies — which include afforestation and tree planting — are out for public consultation, with formal adoption expected in summer 2026. A single EU registry to track every certified unit and prevent double counting is due to launch by the end of 2028.

Strong criteria on the supply side

The CRCF imposes four quality criteria — the "QU.A.L.ITY" principles: robust quantification, additionality, long-term storage and environmental sustainability. Independent analyses note, however, that on some points the standard remains below the Article 6.4 mechanism of the Paris Agreement or the ICVCM criteria. The debate on how units may be used — notably their relationship with the EU ETS and the exclusion of CORSIA — is to be reviewed during 2026.

For a project developer, the CRCF is not a regulatory curiosity: it is the lens that will define the credibility of an afforestation project in Europe.