Brussels, 29/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - European ministers have given their final approval for a new European regulation compelling member states to submit an action plan by 2016 on how they intend to develop a network for fuel charging stations for electricity, gas and hydrogen. The directive for fuel replacement infrastructure also sets out common standards framing the way in which this directive will be devised and applied. Fuel charging station infrastructure is expected to be completed by 2025, with differentiated deadlines for different fuels and modes of transport. The directive stipulates that charging should already be accessible in cities by 2020, with a single type of charging plug throughout Europe. European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas was delighted that, “with this new regulation, the EU is providing companies with the legal security they have been demanding, in an effort to invest and achieve economies of scale”. He also emphasised that it was now up to the member states themselves to develop appropriate national action frameworks for this initiative. (MD)