Gas and Hydrogen markets: deal paves the road for decarbonisation and greater energy security in the EU

Renew Europe welcomes today´s interinstitutional agreement on the recast of the gas and hydrogen markets regulation, and of the directive (reached on 27 November). The revised legislation is an important part of the overall Union framework to decarbonise our energy industry, develop a resilient transmission and distribution networks and ramp up the production of renewable gases and the hydrogen market, which is essential to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors. Moreover, it puts in place an enabling framework for a diversification of supply and fewer dependencies on unreliable third countries through increased solidarity among Member States, among other elements.

Renew Europe MEP Klemen Grošelj (Gibanje Svoboda, Slovenia), shadow rapporteur on the gas and hydrogen markets regulation, declared:

"Consumers, households and industry are all entering a new era of energy market development. We are in the process of framing a completely new energy market of the future – the hydrogen market. The speedy and transparent development of hydrogen networks will help us secure our energy supply, ensure competitive energy prices and foster our energy strategic sovereignty."

Renew Europe MEP Claudia Gamon (NEOS, Austria), shadow rapporteur on the gas and hydrogen directive, stated:

"We will only be independent from Russian or other gas imports if we focus on sustainable alternatives. Demand for hydrogen will be very high and for a long time we will not be able to meet the demand with made-in-the-EU hydrogen. This is why we should start by prioritizing hard to abate sectors to guarantee supply for our industry. Wherever there are alternatives to gas, we should be using them."