How will the CBAM benchmarks be defined?
The CBAM benchmarks will be based on a combination of the EU ETS benchmarks. A combination is needed because there are only a limited number of ETS product benchmarks available and because these are not defined per CN codes. Analytical work on defining the CBAM benchmarks has started. The CBAM benchmarks are not necessarily fixed numbers, as in some cases installation-specific data might be required.
While in some cases there could be a CBAM benchmark per CN code, it may also be possible that CBAM benchmarks are set per groups of CN codes (e.g. per aggregated goods category), if the respective production processes are similar. On the other hand, there could also be different CBAM benchmarks for the same CN code, for example in the case of goods made of primary versus secondary steel.
The overall objective is developing a methodology that mirrors the EU ETS free allocation rules, while limiting the burden for stakeholders.
Source: EC’s Questions and Answers on CBAM