Normec Verifavia has signed a formal agreement with the Korea Testing Laboratory (KTC) to address the growing demands of EU carbon regulations, specifically the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and to support Korean companies as they expand in the European market.
Under this agreement, Normec Verifavia and KTC will jointly focus on compliance procedures involving carbon emissions measurement and reporting.
The areas of cooperation include:
Verification of Carbon Emissions for Export Compliance: This aspect focuses on calculating and verifying carbon emissions of Korean export companies under EU regulations. Normec Verifavia will bring its extensive experience as an accredited verification body under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) and in CBAM data verification, which is currently in a transitional phase and will be fully implemented by January 2026.
Technical Support for Domestic and EU Standards: The agreement also includes cooperation on Korea’s clean hydrogen certification and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) standards, fostering a bridge between European and Korean regulatory requirements. This element will ensure that Korean companies exporting to the EU meet stringent regulatory standards, facilitating smoother cross-border trade.
Strategic Information Sharing: Normec Verifavia and KTC have committed to an information-sharing framework to streamline the technical understanding of emissions verification. This will cover areas of mutual interest, such as low-carbon product design, carbon footprint verification, and sustainable development metrics.
Normec Verifavia brings ISO14065 accreditation and a proven history of verification services for high-stakes regulatory frameworks, including the EU-ETS. As the European Union accelerates carbon regulations in response to climate imperatives, this expertise will be invaluable in helping Korean companies navigate compliance with CBAM, which targets industries with high carbon footprints, such as steel and aluminum.
Data shows that 88.9% of Korea’s CBAM-targeted exports to the EU are in steel, with aluminum accounting for 10.9%, highlighting the critical role of effective emissions verification in ensuring uninterrupted trade flows. Support for Compliance in EU and Korean Markets The EU CBAM poses notable compliance challenges for Korean exporters, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, where the knowledge gap remains significant. A recent survey found that over 78% of these companies lack a comprehensive understanding of CBAM requirements, putting them at a disadvantage in maintaining EU market access. The structured agreement with Normec Verifavia provides these companies with streamlined verification support, reducing the complexities associated with CBAM compliance, and addressing gaps in expertise and resources.
Additionally, the two organizations will explore further support frameworks around sustainable product lifecycle assessment and eco-design to enable Korean companies to meet EU sustainability expectations.