(1)

Directive (EU) 2018/2001 lays down requirements for certain fuels, namely biofuels, bioliquids, biomass fuels, renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels, to ensure that they can only be counted towards the targets set in that Directive if they have been sustainably produced and save significant greenhouse-gas emissions compared with fossil fuels. Article 29 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 lays down sustainability and greenhouse-gas emissions saving criteria for biofuels, bioliquids, and biomass fuels.

(2)

Article 26 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807 (2) establish the criteria to determine which feedstock for biofuels, bioliquids or biomass fuels has high indirect land-use change risk, on the one hand, and which high indirect land-use change-risk biofuels, bioliquids or biomass fuels that meet certain conditions can be certified as having low indirect land-use change risk, on the other hand.

(3)

Article 27(6) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 as well as Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 (3) lay down rules to determine the share of renewable electricity used to produce renewable fuels of non-biological origin. Article 29a(1) and (2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 lays down greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria for renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185 (4) lays down rules specifying the methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions savings for both renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels. Article 31a(2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 requires economic operators to enter information in a Union database on the transactions made and the sustainability characteristics of both: (i) liquid and gaseous renewable fuels; and (ii) recycled carbon fuels.

(4)

Voluntary schemes play an important role in providing evidence of compliance with the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels. Under Directive (EU) 2018/2001, voluntary schemes can be used to certify the compliance of all fuels produced from biomass with the sustainability criteria laid down in that Directive and provide accurate data on their greenhouse gas emissions savings. In addition, voluntary schemes can be used to certify compliance of renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels with their greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria set out in Article 29a of that Directive applying the methodology set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185 and to prove compliance with Article 27(6) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 regarding the calculation of the share of renewable electricity used to produce renewable fuels of non-biological origin. According to Article 31a(5) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001, voluntary schemes can also be used to prove that economic operators enter accurate information into the Union or national database on certain renewable fuels and recycled carbon fuels. The Commission may decide that voluntary national or international schemes can serve all or some of these purposes.

(5)

On 27 August 2020, the ‘Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) EU RED’ voluntary scheme (the ‘RSB scheme’) submitted a request to the Commission for recognition pursuant to Article 30(4) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001. The Commission assessed the scheme and identified some issues requiring amendments.

(6)

The RSB scheme re-submitted its request on 24 June 2021, addressing the issues identified by the Commission. In response, the Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/607 (5), recognising the RSB scheme as demonstrating compliance for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels (i) with the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria laid down in Article 29(2) to (5) and (10) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001,(ii) with the low indirect land-use change-risk criteria set in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807, and (iii) with the obligation to enter accurate information into the Union or national database on renewable fuels and recycled carbon fuels in the transport sector in accordance with Article 28(4) of that Directive (EU) 2018/2001 in the version in force on 19 November 2023. The RSB scheme was also recognised as demonstrating compliance for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels for the purpose of Article 29(10) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 in as far as the scheme ensures that all relevant information from economic operators upstream from the chain of custody is transferred to the economic operators downstream from the chain of custody.

(7)

On 15 July 2025, the RSB scheme submitted a further request to the Commission for recognition pursuant to Article 30(4) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels. The Commission assessed the scheme under the new request and identified some issues requiring amendments. In its resubmission of 30 September 2025, the RSB scheme correctly addressed the issues.

(8)

Therefore, the Commission found that the scheme: (i) adequately covers the rules set out in Article 27(6) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 for the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin; (ii) provides accurate data on greenhouse gas emissions savings renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels for the purposes of Article 29a(1) and (2) of that Directive; and (iii) is in line with the methodology set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185, which provides a methodology used to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions savings for those fuels.

(9)

On biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels, the scheme covers all feedstocks including wastes and residues and the entire chain of custody (for biomethane from the production unit up to the point of injection to the interconnected gas infrastructure). The scheme also covers all types of renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels and encompasses the entire chain of custody. It has global geographic coverage.

(10)

In assessing the RSB scheme, the Commission also found that it meets adequate standards of reliability, transparency and independent auditing and complies, for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels, with the methodological requirements set out in Annexes V and VI to Directive (EU) 2018/2001.

(11)

In addition, the scheme applies a mass balance methodology in accordance with the requirements set out in of Article 30(1) and (2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001.

(12)

Finally, in assessing the RSB scheme, the Commission also found that it complies with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/996 (6).

(13)

For reasons of transparency and clarity, it is appropriate to set out in a comprehensive manner all the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions criteria that the RSB scheme is considered to adequately cover. Therefore, Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/607 should be repealed and replaced by this Decision.

(14)

The information that the RSB ‘scheme has been recognised should be made available in the section on the Commission’s ‘Europa’ website devoted to voluntary schemes.

(15)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioliquids and Biomass fuels,

(a)

compliance of the consignments of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels with the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions savings criteria laid down in Article 29(2) to (5) and (10) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001;

(b)

compliance of the consignments of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels with the low indirect land-use change-risk criteria set in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807;

(c)

that it contains accurate data on greenhouse gas emission savings for the purpose of Article 29(10) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 in as far as it ensures that all relevant information from economic operators upstream in the chain of custody is transferred to the economic operators downstream in the chain of custody;

(d)

compliance of consignments of fuels of non-biological origin with Article 27(6), first to fourth subparagraph, of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and the relevant criteria laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184;

(e)

that it contains accurate data on greenhouse gas emissions savings of renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels for the purpose of Article 29a(1) and (2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and that the savings have been calculated in line with the methodology set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185;

(f)

compliance of economic operators with the obligation to enter accurate information into the Union or national database on liquid and gaseous renewable fuels and recycled carbon fuels in accordance with Article 31a(2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001.