In July 2026, Bellona Europa, Clean Air Task Force, Carbon Balance Initiative and Cement Europe, joined by a broad coalition of industry associations, infrastructure operators, carbon removal stakeholders, civil society organisations, and other actors across the carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, called on EU Member States in an open letter to rapidly implement penalty regimes required under Article 23 of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). The letter highlights that effective, proportionate, and dissuasive penalties are essential to enforce oil and gas producers’ obligations to deliver the EU’s 2030 CO₂ storage target of 50 million tonnes of annual injection capacity. We urge Member States to publish and enforce these penalties without further delay, providing the regulatory certainty needed to unlock investment in CO₂ storage infrastructure and support Europe’s industrial decarbonisation and climate objectives. 

• Open Letter – NZIA Penalties (pdf)