Seven European countries have issued a joint declaration to the European Commission (EC) urging increased funding and legislation to support hydrogen.
The Ministers of Energy of the Pentalateral Energy Forum, comprising Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland said the EC should “present a timely action plan followed by legislative proposals to enable a flexible, fit-for-purpose regulatory approach and to stimulate a liquid market for hydrogen in the coming years”.
The ministers affirmed their commitment “to strengthen their cooperation on hydrogen produced in a CO2-reducing manner with the aim of contributing to the full decarbonisation of the energy system, with a particular emphasis on renewable hydrogen."
They acknowledged the need to decarbonise the energy system and to achieve the 2030 climate and energy targets by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement and the potential of hydrogen, particularly from renewable sources, for the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, such as in industry and in transport. They noted the need for a timely scale up of the production of hydrogen in Europe in a coordinated way and the the importance of enhancing international cooperation to create a global renewable hydrogen market. Due to the high cost, utilisation in sectors where hydrogen use is closest to competitiveness or where there are limited alternativesl should initially be prioritised.
The full list of 13 recommendations to the EC can be found in the joint declaration.