The Eastern Lights consortium has organised a webinar to explore the regulatory and funding landscape shaping Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in Eastern Europe.
This event built on regulatory workshops held in Bulgaria and Romania in 2025, where Eastern Lights partners have exchanged with national ministries on CCUS and what challenges remain on the regulatory level to help scale it up.
During the webinar, participants heard insights from specialists from Bulgaria and Romania about the outcomes of these workshops. In addition, Maria Velkova, Deputy Head of Unit at DG CLIMA, European Commission, shared an overview of the EU policy framework on CCUS, and different experts from research, industry and global associations exchanged views on the policy and funding measures that can help countries advance their low-carbon transition. The discussion also explored practical lessons that can support CCUS development not only in Bulgaria and Romania, but also across other European Member States.
Download slides from country-insights presentations
Agenda
10:00 – 10:05 – Welcome
Introductory remarks
Moderator:
- Laura Ponikelska, Policy Communications Advisor, Eurogas
10:05 – 10:15 – Keynote: Current and upcoming EU policy framework surrounding CCUS
This keynote speech will provide a short overview of the EU policy framework for CCUS, placing recent and upcoming legislative initiatives in the context of the EU’s 2030 climate targets and its overarching goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The presentation will highlight the increasing recognition of CCUS as a critical enabling technology for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, while also potentially contributing to negative emissions in the longer term.
Speaker:
- Maria Velkova, Deputy Head of Unit for low carbon solutions, research & low carbon technology deployment, DG CLIMA, European Commission
10:15 – 10:25 – Insights from the ground: national policy & regulatory challenges in Bulgaria and Romania
Presentation about the conclusions from local policy workshops with national Ministries in Bulgaria and Romania, highlighting which challenges remain and which priority areas should be addressed in order to create an enabling regulatory framework for CCUS.
Speakers:
- Angelina Tomeshkova, General Counsel, Legal and Compliance, Holcim Bulgaria
- Dr. Alexandra Dudu, Head of CO2 Geological Storage Department, GeoEcoMar
10:25 – 11:05 – Panel discussion: Turning Ambition into Action: Overcoming Funding and Regulatory Barriers for Large-Scale CCUS Deployment
This panel discussion will examine how the EU and national policymakers, research institutions and academia, and industry can collaborate to bridge the gap between the ambition for large-scale CCUS deployment and the regulatory and funding frameworks currently in place. The session will focus on critical challenges for CCUS projects, such as financial and regulatory barriers, social acceptance, cross-border transport and infrastructure needs, while also emphasizing the role of technological innovation in overcoming these obstacles. By outlining how EU instruments like the ETS, Innovation Fund and Net Zero Industry Act can be reinforced by national measures, this session will identify practical solutions to accelerate investment, strengthen cooperation and align policies for effective CCUS scale-up across Europe.
Speakers:
Additional speakers are in the process of being invited.
- Dr. Isabella Nardini, Manager of International Affairs, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG
- Angelina Tomeshkova, General Counsel, Legal and Compliance, Holcim Bulgaria
- Carlo Maccherini, Senior Regional Manager Europe, Global CCS Institute
- Tanya Nikolova, Head of Business Unit, Efund Group
11:05 – 11:25 – Q&A with participants
11:25 – 11:30 – Closing remarks
