Policy

The EU Directive 2009/31/EC establishes a legal framework for the geological storage of CO2 in the EU. It sets out requirements for the permitting, operation, monitoring, and closure of CO2 storage sites, as well as liability provisions. Member States are required to transpose the directive into national law and designate competent authorities responsible for regulating CO2 storage activities.

The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) is the main EU instrument regulating pollutant emissions from industrial installations. The IED sets emission limit values for industrial installations across various sectors, including energy production, refining, and manufacturing. CCUS technologies can help industries comply with these emissions standards by capturing and reducing CO2 emissions from their processes.

The Industrial Carbon Management Strategy identifies a set of actions to be taken, at EU and national level, to establish a single market for CO2 in Europe and to create a more attractive environment for investments in industrial carbon management technologies.

The EU ETS is a cornerstone of EU climate policy, which places a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions from installations in sectors such as power generation, industrial production, and aviation. Installations covered by the EU ETS are required to surrender emission allowances equivalent to their emissions. In this context, CCUS projects can benefit from the EU ETS by potentially earning carbon credits through the capture and storage of CO2 emissions.

The EIA procedure guarantees environmental protection and transparency with regard to the decision-making process for several public and private projects. With its wide scope and broad purpose, the EIA ensures that environmental concerns are considered from the very beginning of new building or development projects, or their changes or extensions.