Entry into Force of RED III in the EU
- Jānis Švirksts
- Jun 23
- 1 min read
On May 21, 2025, the EU's RED III regulation officially came into effect across all member states, bringing new compliance requirements for renewable energy certification systems. The regulation aims to strengthen sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction commitments in the biomass and biogas sectors.
While existing RED II certificates remain valid, economic operators must now align with the new RED III standards. This compliance will be assessed during recertification or surveillance audits conducted by certification bodies.
A key change involves stricter GHG reduction requirements, particularly for existing biomass and biogas plants that started operating before 2021. These plants now face a 70% or 80% GHG reduction target, depending on their capacity and operational timeline. To demonstrate compliance, all players in the supply chain must report or calculate their GHG emissions using default values or specific data.
It's important to note that in the SURE system, only GHG reduction targets implemented into national law by member states are enforceable. If national laws have not yet adopted RED III targets, only the previous RED II regulations remain applicable. Additionally, the new compliance requirements for biomass plants with a thermal capacity of 7.5 MW to 20 MW are governed solely by national legislation, not directly by SURE.
Economic operators are advised to familiarize themselves early with their obligations under the updated standards and seek guidance from industry associations or national supporting bodies to ensure smooth compliance with RED III.
