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An atmospheric Lagrangian experiment for regional CO2 budgeting with aircraft measurements took place during the CarboEurope Regional Experiment campaign (CERES) in south-western France, in June, 2005. The atmospheric CO2 aircraft measurements taken upstream and downstream of an active and homogeneous 5 pine forest revealed a CO2 depletion in the same air mass. This field experiment is analyzed with a meteorological meso-scale model interactively coupled with a surface scheme, allowing plant assimilation, ecosystem respiration, CO2 anthropogenic emissions and sea fluxes. First, the model is carefully validated against observations close to the surface 10 and in the atmospheric boundary layer. Then, the carbon budget is evaluated using the numerous CERES observations and as well as the modeling results in order to estimate the relative contribution of each physical process. A good agreement is shown in terms of the estimation of the regional CO2 surface flux by the Eulerian meso-scale model budget and by the observations at the surface flux sites. A Lagrangian estimation of regional CO2 surface flux from aircraft observations is more difficult due to several sources of uncertainty. In our case, probable errors are due to the determination of CO2 vertical profile measurements and owing to the difficulties in monitoring the meteorological condition evolution during several hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]