European Economic
and Social Committee
Hydrogen – infrastructure, development needs, financing, use and limits
Background
Green hydrogen is an important building block of the energy transition towards renewable energy sources.
There have been a number of fundamental structural changes for the electricity and gas markets, and new initiatives have been adopted to promote green hydrogen markets, for example the design of the EU Hydrogen Bank in 2023.
Against this backdrop, it is important to clarify as soon as possible the development of hydrogen infrastructure, its financing as well as the use and the remit of hydrogen.
The EESC own-initiative opinion, included in the 2024 TEN Section Work Programme, will contribute to this objective.
Key points
The EESC:
- stresses that only renewable hydrogen, as defined by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184, must be eligible for public funding. However especially in the transitional phase, other forms of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen will need to be used.
- points out that apart from ensuring ecological criteria, certification schemes must also guarantee social standards. These standards must include fair and safe working conditions and compliance with labour, social and trade union rights.
- indicates the need to avoid cross-subsidisation of the hydrogen grids by gas grid users, especially important since the future users of hydrogen grids differ from today’s gas grid users. It is important to apply the user-pays principle and to ensure that hydrogen infrastructure is primarily financed by its users. In the early stages of roll-out, government funding could complement the user-pays-based financing via network tariffs.
Additional information
Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)
Opinion number: TEN/831
Opinion type: Own-initiative
Rapporteur: Thomas Kattnig (Group II - Austria)
Date of adoption by section: 18 July 2024
Result of the vote: 72 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions
Date of adoption in plenary: 18-19 September 2024
Result of the vote: 171 in favour, 0 against, 2 abstentions
Contact
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