Article 8 3

(a)

ensure the robustness and transparency of carbon removals and soil emission reductions;

(b)

promote the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems;

(c)

contribute to ensuring the Union’s food security and avoiding land speculation;

(d)

take into account the competitiveness of farmers and forest owners and managers in the Union in a sustainable manner, in particular for small-scale operators;

(e)

promote the sustainability of biomass in accordance with the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels laid down in Article 29 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001;

(f)

ensure the consistency of the application of the principle of the cascading use of biomass as per national authorities in accordance with Article 3(3) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001;

(g)

ensure the avoidance of unsustainable demand for biomass raw material;

(h)

minimise the administrative and financial burden on operators, in particular on small-scale operators, and keep the certification process as simple as possible, and easy to use;

(i)

ensure that cases of reversal are addressed through appropriate liability mechanisms such as collective buffers or up-front insurance mechanisms and, as a last resort, direct cancellation of units.