Taking stock of the inter-institutional negotiations (trilogues) on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), Parliament’s rapporteur on the dossier, Markus Pieper (EPP, German), called on the European Commission to publish the delegated act to provide the criteria for defining renewable hydrogen as soon as possible, at a meeting of the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on Monday 23 January.
Mr Pieper seemed noticeably annoyed by the Commission’s delay of the original schedule.
Initially expected in 2021 (the deadline set by the EU hydrogen strategy unveiled on 8 July 2020 - see EUROPE 12523/1), then for the end of 2022, the presentation of the delegated act is still not subject to a precise date. However, the Commission has assured that it will happen very soon.
In view of this delay, the rapporteur announced that in the absence of a delegated act by 8 February, the Parliament and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council will themselves negotiate criteria for defining renewable hydrogen in the framework of the ongoing trilogues on the revision of the RED Directive.
At the second trilogue, negotiators agreed not to address this issue in order to leave it to the Commission (see EUROPE 13064/11), provided that it acts quickly.
The next trilogues will be held on 7 February and 6 March. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)