The Council of the European Union has published a cover note dated 10 July 2026, transmitting the Commission Delegated Regulation that establishes certification methodologies for carbon farming activities under Regulation (EU) 2024/3012. The document sets out detailed rules for eligible practices, activity periods, monitoring timelines, and planning obligations for operators seeking certification.
The delegated regulation covers three main categories of carbon farming: agricultural practices on mineral soils, peatland rewetting, and afforestation. Eligible activities include measures that increase soil carbon removals such as cover crops, conservation tillage, and agroforestry; practices that reduce nitrous oxide emissions like precision fertilisation and leguminous crops; and peatland rewetting through drainage blocking and paludiculture. Activity periods vary by type: five years for soil practices (renewable up to three times), 15 years for agroforestry (renewable once), at least 10 years for peatland rewetting (maximum 30 years or until peat depletion), and 35 years for afforestation (no renewal). Monitoring periods extend five years beyond the activity period for carbon removal practices, while for peatlands monitoring equals the activity period.
Eligibility requirements include a ban on tree removal, a prohibition on new drainage after 1 January 2023, a minimum afforestation area of 0.5 hectares, a preference for mixed species, and permission to use non-native species only if native species are no longer viable. Operators must submit an activity plan containing baseline estimates, a reversal risk assessment, a liability mechanism, and proof of sustainability compliance. For peatland methane, if no methane peak is deemed plausible, a deduction of 10 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent per hectare annually applies for the first five years.
The regulation imposes significant compliance obligations on farmers and land managers, who must adhere to strict timelines and detailed reporting. National authorities will need to verify activity plans and monitor compliance, potentially increasing administrative burdens. The rules aim to ensure environmental integrity and prevent carbon reversal, but may raise costs for smaller operators. The European Parliament and Council will now scrutinise the delegated regulation before it enters into force.