CBAM Recap

At a Glance:

• CBAM Omnibus Reforms Published on the EU's Official Journal
• Final List of CBAM Benchmarks Delayed Until Early 2026
• EU Commission Confirms CBAM Definitive Phase to Start Without Delay

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CBAM Omnibus reforms published on the EU's Official Journal

The EU CBAM Omnibus reforms were published on 17 October 2025 in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The changes entered into force on the third day following their publication.

This event officially concluded the legislative process, which began in February 2025 with the Commission's proposal and ended with the Council's adoption of the reforms on 29 September 2025.

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Final List of CBAM Benchmarks Delayed Until Early 2026

EUROMETAL reports that the final list of CBAM benchmarks will not be available until early 2026, according to correspondence from Gerassimos Thomas, Director-General for Taxation and Customs Union at the European Commission.

The delay stems from the need to first update EU ETS benchmarks for Phase V (2026-2030), upon which the CBAM benchmarks will be based. However, a temporary list of CBAM benchmarks is expected to be published before the end of 2026.

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EU Commission confirms CBAM definitive phase to start without delay

On the official CBAM website, the European Commission has confirmed that the definitive period will begin without delays on January 1, 2026, urging companies to apply for authorized CBAM declarant status as soon as possible.

Moreover, the call for evidence the Commission opened on 28 August 2025 on key CBAM implementing regulations such as the emissions calculation methodology, free allocation adjustments, and carbon price reductions ended on 25 September 2025. The text of these implementation rules, including the benchmark values, is expected to be published in the first weeks of Q4 2025.