17 Amendments of Tudor CIUHODARU related to 2022/0394(COD)
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In order to support operators willing to make additional efforts to increase carbon removals in a sustainable way, the Union certification framework should include a reference framework and reference values, and also take into account the different types of carbon removal activities, their specificities and related environmental impacts. Therefore, this Regulation should provide clear definitions of carbon removal, carbon removal activities, and other elements of the Union certification framework, along with the time periods needed to implement those measures.
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) Permanent cooperation is needed with the world of education and science at European and international level to identify the latest and most up-to-date carbon removal methods and solutions and to apply them as swiftly as possible in order to achieve the Union’s climate and biodiversity objectives.
Amendment 159 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) A carbon removal activity should result in a net carbon removal benefit showing that it delivers a positive climate impact. The net carbon removal benefit should be computed following two steps. First, operators should quantify the amount of additional carbon removals that a carbon removal activity has generated in comparison to a baseline and reference values established at European and international level. A standardised baseline reflecting the standard performance of comparable activities in similar social, economic, environmental and technological circumstances and geographical locations should be preferred because it ensures objectivity, minimises compliance and other administrative costs, and positively recognises the action of first movers who have already engaged in carbon removal activities. In the context of carbon farming, the use of available digital technologies, including electronic databases and geographic information systems, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and of electronic maps should be promoted to decrease the costs of establishing baselines and of monitoring carbon removal activities. However, where it is not possible to set such a standardised baseline, a project-specific baseline based on the operator’s individual performance and the field of reference may be used. In order to reflect the social, economic, environmental and technological developments and to encourage ambition over time in line with the Paris Agreement, baselines should be periodically updated.
Amendment 183 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Carbon removals should be quantified in a relevant, accurate, complete, consistent and comparable manner. Uncertainties in the quantification should be duly reported and accounted in order to limit the risk of overestimating the quantity of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere. Carbon removals generated by carbon farming should be quantified with a high level of accuracy to assure the highest quality and minimise uncertainties. Moreover, in order to incentivise synergies between Union climate and biodiversity objectives, enhanced monitoring of land over a pre-established period needs to be required, thereby helping to protect and enhance the resilience of nature-based carbon removals throughout the Union. The satellite and on-site monitoring and reporting of emissions and removals need to closely reflect those approaches, and make the best use of advanced technologies available under Union programmes, such as Copernicus, making full use of already existing tools, and ensure consistency with the national greenhouse gas inventories.
Amendment 246 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) It is appropriate to develop detailed certification methodologies based on common European-level criteria for the different carbon removal activities in order to apply, in a standardised, verifiable and comparable way, the quality criteria laid down in this Regulation. Those methodologies should ensure the robust and transparent certification of the net carbon removal benefit generated by the carbon removal activity, while avoiding disproportionate administrative burden for operators or groups of operators, in particular for small farmers and forest holders, as well as additional costs that would hamper the activity itself. To this end, the Commission should be empowered to supplement this Regulation by adopting delegated acts establishing detailed certification methodologies for the different carbon removal activities. Those methodologies should be developed in close consultation with the Expert Group on Carbon Removals and all other interested actors. They need to be based on the best available scientific evidence, build upon existing public and private schemes and methodologies proven to be effective for carbon removal certification, and take into account any relevant standard and rules adopted at national and Union level.
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) To ensure an accurate, robust and transparent verification, certification bodies responsible for performing the certification of carbon removal activities should have the required competences and skills and should be accredited by national accreditation authorities pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council32 and included in a national and European register. To avoid possible conflicts of interest, the certification bodies should also be completely independent from the operator carrying out the carbon removal activity that is subject to the certification. In addition, Member States should contribute towards ensuring the correct implementation of the certification process by supervising the operation of certification bodies that are accredited by national accreditation authorities, and by informing the certification schemes about relevant non-conformity findings. __________________ 32 Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
Amendment 282 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Certification schemes should be used by operators to demonstrate compliance with this Regulation. Therefore, certification schemes should operate on the basis of reliable and transparent common European-level rules and procedures and should ensure accuracy, reliability, integrity and non- repudiation of origin, and protection against fraud of information and of data submitted by operators. They should also ensure the correct accounting of the verified carbon removal units, notably by avoiding double counting. To this end, the Commission should be empowered to adopt implementing acts, including adequate standards of reliability, transparency, accounting and of independent auditing to be applied by certification schemes, so as to ensure the necessary legal certainty as regards the rules applicable to operators and to certification schemes. To ensure a cost- effective certification process, those technical harmonised rules on certification should also have the objective of reducing unnecessary administrative burden for operators, or group of operators, in particular for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including small farmers and foresters.
Amendment 284 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) In order to ensure a reliable and harmonised control of certification, the Commission should be able to adopt decisions recognising national and European-level certification schemes that meet the requirements set out in this Regulation, including with respect to technical competence, reliability, transparency and independent auditing. Such recognition decisions should be limited in time. To this end, the Commission should be empowered to adopt implementing acts on the content and processes of Union recognition of certification schemes.
Amendment 293 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) CNational and European-level certification schemes should establish and maintain interoperable public registries in order to ensure transparency and full traceability of carbon removal certificates, and to avoid the risk of fraud and double counting. Fraud may occur if more than one certificate is issued for the same carbon removal activity because the activity has been registered under two different certification schemes or has been registered twice under the same scheme. Fraud may also occur when the same certificate is used several times to make the same claim based on a carbon removal activity or a carbon removal unit. The registries should store the documents resulting from the certification process of carbon removals, including summaries of certification audits and re-certification audit reports, the certificates and updated certificates, and make them publicly available in electronic form. The registries should also record the certified carbon removal units that meet the Union quality criteria. In order to ensure a level playing field within the single market, the Commission should be empowered to adopt implementing rules setting out common European-level standards and technical rules on the functioning and the inter-operability of those registries.
Amendment 296 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) Certification schemes play an important role in providing evidence of compliance with the quality criteria for carbon removals. It is therefore appropriate for the Commission to require certification schemes to report regularly on their activity. Such reports should be made public, in full or where appropriate in an aggregated format, in order to increase transparency and to improve supervision by the Commission. Furthermore, such reporting would provide the necessary information for the Commission to report on the operation of the certification schemes with a view to identifying best practices and submitting, if appropriate, a proposal to further promote such best practices, which would then enable certification schemes to be improved. In order to ensure comparable and consistent reporting, the Commission should be empowered to adopt implementing acts setting out the technical details on the content and format of the reports drawn up by the certification schemes.
Amendment 333 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) rules for the functioning and recognition by the Commission of certification schemes at national and European level.
Amendment 440 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point k
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point k
(k) ‘certification scheme’ means a scheme managed by a private or public organisation that oversees the certification of compliance of operators or group of operators with this Regulation at national or European level;
Amendment 477 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) they are independently verified with a view to certification, in accordance with Article 9.
Amendment 605 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) they shall monitor, over the course of a pre-established period, and mitigate any risk of release of the stored carbon occurring during the monitoring period;
Amendment 741 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. To apply for a certification of compliance with this Regulation, an operator or a group of operators shall submit an application to a certification scheme. Upon acceptance of that application, the operator or a group of operators shall submit to a certification body a comprehensive description of the carbon removal activity, including the certification methodology applied to assess compliance with Articles 4 to 7, the expected total carbon removals and net carbon removal benefit, and the monitoring period for the carbon storage, where applicable. Groups of operators shall also specify how advisory services on carbon removal activities are provided, in particular to small-scale carbon farming operators.
Amendment 789 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
2. Certification schemes shall operate on the basis of reliable and transparent common European-level rules and procedures, in particular with regard to internal management and monitoring, handling of complaints and appeals, stakeholder consultation, transparency and publication of information, appointment and training of certification bodies, addressing non- conformity issues, development and management of registries.
Amendment 823 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may adopt implementing acts setting out the structure, format, and technical details of the public registries, and of the recording at national and European level, holding or use of carbon removal units, as referred to in paragraph 1. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 17.