Brussels, 8 June 2020 | Europex welcomes the Commission’s initiative to develop a dedicated EU Hydrogen Strategy. We are convinced that traded markets can and will act as enablers for a future usage of hydrogen on a broader scale, including in those sectors where it still has very limited penetration such as transport, buildings and power generation. Given the importance and complexity of the topic, there should be strong stakeholder involvement in both the development and implementation of the EU Hydrogen Strategy. It is key that the integration of hydrogen into the Internal Energy Market is considered from the beginning and that key principles such as fair competition, competitive and efficient cross-border trading, non-discriminatory access to infrastructure as well as unbundling are taken into account when considering the next steps in this long-term endeavour.
While the decarbonisation of the gas sector will require additions and changes to the existing legislation, we do not believe that there should be a parallel hydrogen only regulatory framework. Regulation should focus on creating a level playing field for competing technologies and should enable well-functioning energy markets to have strong price signals to drive decarbonisation at least cost.
Please download the full response below:
