A Commission delegated regulation published by the Council on 10 July 2026 establishes the detailed certification methodologies for carbon farming activities under the EU voluntary framework. The rules, adopted by the Commission on 9 July 2026, cover three activity types: agriculture and agroforestry on mineral soils, rewetting and restoration of peatlands and other organic soils, and afforestation. Operators must follow these methodologies to have their carbon removals and soil emission reductions certified.
The regulation sets quantification rules allowing on-site measurements, remote sensing, and modelling, with the Commission to develop a model-validation protocol. Baselines are activity-specific, using past practices initially, with downward adjustment over time for agricultural soil emissions but no adjustment for peatland rewetting, agroforestry, or afforestation. A minimum 10% uncertainty deduction factor applies to carbon removal and soil emission reduction quantification.
Additionality tests require operators to show the activity is not legally required, did not start before application, and that certification generates costs or is not the most viable investment. A transitional derogation covers early movers whose activity started between 2023 and 2027, and operators under a certification scheme later recognised under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2358.
Liability rules require a risk assessment for carbon reversal, but no liability mechanism is needed for peatland rewetting and improved fertiliser use, which are considered irreversible emission reductions, though resilience practices are required. Operators must demonstrate biodiversity and ecosystem co-benefits via qualitative approaches, with optional action-based or result-based approaches. The regulation mandates periodic review to reflect scientific progress, including albedo effects and synergies with nature credits and on-farm sustainability benchmarking.
EU farmers and landowners face new compliance costs for quantification, baseline setting, and liability assessments, but gain access to a voluntary certification market for carbon credits. National authorities must develop validation protocols and oversight systems. Environmental NGOs may welcome the inclusion of biodiversity co-benefits but could criticise the reliance on modelling and the transitional derogation for early movers. The regulation does not create mandatory obligations but sets the framework for voluntary participation, with the European Parliament and Council having scrutiny rights over the delegated act.