The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will enter its definitive regime on 1 January 2026, triggering the obligation to pay a financial adjustment for the embedded emissions in CBAM goods imported in the EU. While a political agreement has been reached on the amendments to the CBAM Regulation aiming at simplification, the general principles of levelling the playing field between CBAM goods produced in the EU being subject to the EU ETS and imported from third countries, as well as promoting the introduction of carbon pricing instruments in non-EU countries, remain the same.
Companies in the emission-intensive manufacturing and industrial sectors, particularly in aluminium, cement, fertilisers, iron and steel in the Western Balkans, must take measures in order to preserve their competitive position on the EU market.
This online knowledge event provided key insights into the latest developments in CBAM, including the European Commission’s proposals for amendments and the implications of the proposed Omnibus Package for businesses in the region. It explored the strategies and measures companies were planning or needed support with – particularly those focused on improving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring and reducing process-related emissions to mitigate the financial impact of CBAM. It also examined the CBAM-related financial exposure of non-EU producers of CBAM goods in the Western Balkans and their opportunities for hedging against such an exposure.
