The decision marks the first major implementation step under the EU’s Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation, establishing clear rules for certifying technologies that permanently extract CO₂ from the atmosphere. By creating regulatory certainty and a trusted EU‑level standard, Brussels hopes to unlock investment, spur innovation and give credibility to a market long criticised for inconsistent quality and greenwashing.
European Commissioner for Climate, Net‑Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra said the move positions the EU to “lead the global effort in carbon removals,” describing the standards as a critical milestone toward climate neutrality.
Clear rules to catalyse scaling of carbon‑removal technologies
The newly adopted methodologies cover three forms of permanent carbon removal:
• Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS)
• Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage (BioCCS)
• Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR)
These standards define what counts as a tonne of removal, how permanence must be ensured and how risks such as leakage or storage failure must be managed. Their adoption means carbon‑removal projects in these categories can now begin applying for EU certification – shifting the agenda from rule‑setting to on‑the‑ground deployment.
By providing legally grounded, voluntary rules, the Commission aims to give companies and investors long‑awaited clarity, driving capital into an emerging carbon‑removal market where demand is rising but supply remains limited. The move is intended to help the EU scale up industrial carbon‑removal capacity in the 2020s and 2030s, a key requirement for meeting its 2050 net‑zero target.
Major implications for agtech as carbon‑farming methodologies advance
While the first methodologies target industrial removals, the Commission confirmed that two further certification methodologies will follow in 2026 – including a major package for carbon‑farming activities such as agroforestry, peatland rewetting and afforestation.
This is particularly significant for the agtech sector. Today, only a small fraction of Europe’s 9-10 million farms generate income from carbon‑removal activities, despite rising interest from large high‑emitting corporates seeking to buy high‑quality carbon credits to offset hard‑to‑abate emissions. Agtech companies are already developing digital tools, verification platforms and farm‑level monitoring services that help land managers quantify and certify removals under CRCF rules. But until now, the absence of approved EU methodologies for agricultural activities has limited market scale.
The EU hopes that the forthcoming carbon‑farming methodologies will change this by giving farmers a trusted, science‑based framework for generating verifiable, tradeable carbon credits. Result‑based payments could complement farm income while encouraging the transition to more resilient production systems. For agtech firms, this represents one of the biggest near‑term growth opportunities in the climate‑tech landscape.
European Buyers’ Club to kick‑start demand
To accelerate adoption, the Commission is also establishing an EU Buyers’ Club for permanent removals and carbon‑farming credits under the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The initiative aims to mobilise both public and private buyers, helping early‑stage removal projects secure revenue certainty and scale more quickly.
Building a trusted, high‑integrity market
The CRCF framework aims to ensure environmental integrity while keeping administrative burdens manageable. The Commission stresses that quantification rules, permanence requirements and sustainability safeguards are essential to building market trust and avoiding greenwashing.
With these first methodologies now adopted and governance rules in place, the EU is moving into the operational phase of carbon‑removal certification. Projects using DACCS, BioCCS and biochar technologies are expected to begin applying for certification in the coming months.
As the global race to scale high‑integrity removals accelerates, Europe’s move to define the world’s first voluntary standard puts pressure on other jurisdictions to follow suit – while giving agtech innovators, farmers and industrial removal developers a clearer pathway into an emerging carbon‑removal economy.