Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) voted on Thursday 18 March on compromise amendments to the draft own-initiative report by Jens Geier (S&D, Germany) on the European Union’s hydrogen strategy.
In particular, they approved an amendment calling on the European Commission to “assess in which cases, for how long and in what quantity low-carbon hydrogen would be needed approximately for decarbonisation purposes until only renewable hydrogen can play this role” (see EUROPE 12674/15).
Compromise amendments tabled at the last minute by the EPP group to, among other things, place more emphasis on the “important transitional role” of low-carbon hydrogen were, however, rejected (see EUROPE 12676/23), but with only a small margin of error, demonstrating the continuing division over the future place of low-carbon hydrogen.
MEPs also voted against compromise amendments proposed by the Greens/EFA and The Left that would instead downplay the role of low-carbon hydrogen in the EU’s energy transition.
The ITRE Committee vote on the whole draft report will take place on Monday, with a view to adoption at Parliament’s April plenary session. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)