Legal situation: Cross-border CO₂ transport for geological storage under the seabed
Under current EU and Austrian law, cross-border CO₂ transport from Austria for geological storage under the seabed in other Contracting Parties of the European Economic Area is permitted. In doing so, Austria fulfills its legal obligations under international treaties and EU law.
Austria is a landlocked country. Geological storage of CO₂ is prohibited in Austria—with the exception of research purposes with a planned total storage volume of less than 100,000 tonnes. CO₂ captured from industrial or energy facilities for the purpose of geological storage would therefore, under current law, have to be transported cross-border to other Contracting Parties of the European Economic Area that have geological CO₂ storage sites. The largest ongoing and planned storage projects in the EEA are located offshore beneath the seabed.
The following overview of the legal situation for cross-border CO₂ transport for geological storage under the seabed is intended to provide guidance to affected parties and interested stakeholders. The issue of accounting in national greenhouse gas inventories is to be considered separately.