On February 26th, the European Commission published the Omnibus I package, which includes amendments to the CBAM Regulation. Bellona welcomes the initiative’s aim to ensure CBAM does not impose excessive administrative burdens—particularly on smaller importers. This is crucial for its usability. However, simplification efforts must not come at the expense of CBAM’s core objectives: protecting EU industries from carbon leakage and fostering cleaner industrial production abroad. Maintaining a strong climate focus is essential to ensuring CBAM delivers as intended.

Key messages:

• The Omnibus postpones the sale and submission of CBAM certificates and lowers the number of CBAM certificates needed to be in the CBAM registry at the end of each quarter. Bellona urges caution when it comes to delays and the proposal on purchase and sale of CBAM certificates. Although this modification does not imply a broader delay in CBAM’s implementation, it is essential to explicitly clarify this to prevent further unintended timeline extensions in the future and uncertainties for CBAM importers.

• The modification of the de minis threshold from 150EUR to 50 tonnes of net mass is a well-suited approach to exclude occasional and small importers while still covering almost the entirety of emissions in scope. However, periodic review after its entry into force would help assess its effectiveness and potential risks related to circumvention.

• Default values will be calculated based on the highest emitting third countries installations. This reinforces the principles of default values being stringent enough to prevent circumvention and incentivise the use of precise emissions data. However, it is essential that producers in third countries have the opportunity to submit verified actual emissions when they accurately reflect the carbon footprint of the goods traded with the EU.

Context

Bellona has been actively involved in the development of CBAM from the beginning, recognising its vital role in effectively pricing carbon within the EU while safeguarding European industries from carbon leakage. Beyond this, CBAM serves as a powerful tool to drive cleaner production abroad, reinforcing global climate action. With today’s amendments, companies subject to CBAM have clarity on its implementation and must fully comply, embracing their role in this crucial climate policy. It is now essential to ensure a smooth and timely phase-in, without delays.