Maltese MEP Peter Agius (PPE) has asked the European Commission to clarify why businesses are still struggling to find accredited verifiers for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), five months after the mechanism's definitive phase began. In a parliamentary question submitted on 8 June 2026, Agius warned that importers face uncertainty over the availability of third-party verifiers needed to report actual embedded emissions, and demanded concrete answers on accreditation status, publication of the official verifier list, and interim measures if capacity remains insufficient.
Agius's question targets a practical bottleneck in CBAM enforcement: without accredited verifiers, importers cannot submit verified emissions data as required under the regulation that took full effect on 1 January 2026. The MEP specifically asks what the current status of the accreditation process is, when the official list of accredited verification bodies will be made public, and whether the Commission believes sufficient capacity will be in place ahead of the first compliance deadlines. He also presses for interim measures to support businesses if verification capacity is not yet fully operational.
The question reflects growing concern among EU importers and industry groups that the transition to mandatory CBAM reporting is being hampered by administrative delays. Agius, a member of the centre-right European People's Party, is known for advocating business-friendly implementation of EU climate policies. His intervention signals that even pro-market MEPs see the verifier shortage as a serious operational risk.
Under European Parliament rules, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will indicate whether Brussels plans to accelerate accreditation, publish the verifier list soon, or introduce temporary flexibilities for affected companies. A vague or non-committal response could trigger further parliamentary pressure, including a follow-up question or a debate in the ENVI committee.
EU importers face direct compliance costs and legal uncertainty if they cannot secure accredited verifiers in time; some may risk penalties or be forced to use default values, which are higher and less favourable. Accredited verifiers themselves stand to gain a new business stream, but the slow accreditation process limits their market entry. National accreditation bodies are under pressure to speed up approvals without compromising quality. The Commission's credibility on CBAM enforcement is at stake: a failure to ensure verifier capacity would undermine the mechanism's environmental integrity and expose the EU to accusations of imposing unworkable rules on industry.