The European Parliament set out, on Wednesday 15 March, its position on measures to facilitate the integration of renewable and low-carbon gases, including hydrogen, into the EU gas market. The interinstitutional negotiations can now start on the revision of a directive and a regulation, brought forward respectively by Jens Geier (S&D, German) and Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Polish) to reform the EU gas market.
“The hydrogen era is coming. For this to happen in the EU, we need a stable and balanced regulatory framework, financial support and investment in new infrastructure. With this legislation, we are preparing for it”, Mr Buzek said.
The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) had previously adopted its negotiating position on the gas package on 9 February (see EUROPE 13119/6). MEPs stressed the importance of creating dedicated hydrogen corridors, as mentioned in the REPowerEU strategy, as well as providing sufficient cross-border capacity to establish an integrated hydrogen market, the so-called ‘hydrogen backbone’, and to allow hydrogen to circulate freely in the EU.
“The rules we have for natural gas should be used identically for the hydrogen market so that the model can be used in every Member State, since it is already known and proven. Thus, market players will not have to change their organisation. Companies want to decarbonise, to switch from natural gas to hydrogen, and it must be possible to do this safely”, said Mr Geier, rapporteur for the directive, at a press conference.
Before interinstitutional negotiations begin, the EU Council could decide on a general approach on 28 March, said the rapporteur for the directive. The gas package will already be discussed by the Member States’ ambassadors at the meeting of the Member States’ ambassadors (Coreper) on Friday 17 March. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)