The European Commission plans to relax strict green hydrogen criteria and revise its strategy after acknowledging that earlier ambitions for scaling up production have fallen short, signalling a shift towards making hydrogen more feasible for market development.
The European Commission is preparing a substantial reset of its hydrogen policy after acknowledging that the EU’s original ambitions for the fuel have outpaced delivery on the ground.
Céline Gauer, who has taken charge of the Commission’s energy directorate, told the European Parliament’s industry committee that the bloc’s push to scale up hydrogen production has fallen well short of expectations. She said the rate of deployment had been “far, far away” from the assumptions underpinning the EU’s plans and noted that, in 2025, only 5% of the electrolysers targeted for that year had been built. Her remarks amounted to one of Brussels’ clearest acknowledgements yet that the strategy adopted in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has not produced the hoped-for market take-off.
The Commission’s response is now expected to involve relaxing the strict criteria that define green hydrogen, particularly the rules tying its designation to freshly generated renewable electricity used in near real time. Gauer said the framework needs to be revisited to allow more time for the sector to mature. As drafted, the rules become progressively tighter, a structure that has made it harder for early projects to get off the ground.
The shift marks a notable departure from the headline ambition set after the energy shock of 2022, when the EU aimed to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen a year by 2030 and import a further 10 million tonnes. That target was presented as part of a broader effort to reduce reliance on Russian gas and accelerate decarbonisation in heavy industry and transport. Yet the market has expanded much more slowly than policymakers had hoped, with industry and lawmakers increasingly warning that the regulatory framework has been too rigid for a sector still in its infancy.
Christophe Grudler, the French liberal who speaks for Renew in the Parliament’s industry committee, described EU hydrogen policy as a “total failure”, while Christian Ehler, the German centre-right MEP, also criticised the pace of progress. Their comments reflect growing political frustration across the chamber, where support for hydrogen remains strong in principle, but confidence in the current approach has weakened.
The Commission has already taken some steps to build a market architecture. In May 2024, the Council of the European Union signed off on new gas and hydrogen market rules designed to create a common framework for transport, supply, storage and network planning. The package requires gas and hydrogen network operators to prepare ten-year development plans and is intended to support a future hydrogen infrastructure across the bloc. The Commission at the same time said the reforms would help create a hydrogen market that could support industrial decarbonisation.
Financial support has also been used to try to de-risk investment. In late 2024, the Commission published the terms for a second auction under the European Hydrogen Bank, followed by an award of up to €1.2 billion to renewable hydrogen producers in the European Economic Area. The scheme, funded through the Innovation Fund, was intended to help close the cost gap between renewable hydrogen and more established fuels, and to give project developers greater certainty. A separate package of innovation calls launched in December 2024 also earmarked further money for net-zero technologies.
Even so, the European Court of Auditors has warned that the EU is unlikely to meet its 2030 production and import targets for renewable hydrogen. The Council, in conclusions adopted in November 2024, called for swift implementation of the regulatory framework and for more coordinated action on networks, industry and investment. That underlines the gap between the political case for hydrogen and the practical difficulty of building a market at scale.
According to Gauer, two pending proposals are close to completion: a revision of the green hydrogen criteria and a methodology for classifying hydrogen produced with nuclear power as low-carbon. The broader hydrogen strategy, she said, should be adopted before the end of the year. For industrial users watching the sector from the sidelines, the message is clear: Brussels is no longer treating hydrogen policy as a matter of setting ever-higher targets, but of making the rules workable enough for projects, pipelines and offtake agreements to follow.
- https://www.euractiv.com/news/brussels-announces-broad-hydrogen-policy-overhaul/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/05/21/fit-for-55-council-signs-off-on-gas-and-hydrogen-market-package/ – On 21 May 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation and a directive establishing common internal market rules for renewable and natural gases, including hydrogen. These new rules aim to facilitate the transition to renewable and low-carbon gases, particularly hydrogen, in the energy system, aligning with the EU’s decarbonisation targets. The package sets out solid rules for the organisation of the natural gas market and establishes a strong framework for the development of the future hydrogen market, including dedicated hydrogen infrastructure. It contains specific rules for the transport, supply, and storage of natural gas and hydrogen, calling for integrated and transparent network planning across the EU under the principle of ‘energy efficiency first’ and with a forward-looking approach. Gas and hydrogen network operators are required to prepare a 10-year EU network development plan. The regulation and directive will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The regulation will become directly applicable six months after its publication, while member states will have two years to adapt their national legislation to the provisions of the directive.
- https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/clean-and-secure-energy-thanks-new-market-reforms-2024-05-21_en – On 21 May 2024, the European Commission announced major reforms to the EU electricity and gas markets, aiming to provide consumers with more stable energy prices and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. The reforms include a wider choice of contracts, clearer information before signing contracts, options to lock in secure, long-term prices, dynamic pricing contracts, protection from disconnection for vulnerable consumers, and more opportunities for energy sharing. The new framework for the gas market will lead to the creation of a market for hydrogen, which is key to curbing emissions from heavy industries and transport. For consumers, the reforms will mean that they can switch gas suppliers more easily, use effective price comparison tools, and get accurate, fair, and transparent billing information. The updated framework also gives EU countries the possibility to stop or limit imports of both piped gas and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) from Russia and Belarus.
- https://climate.ec.europa.eu/news-other-reads/news/second-renewable-hydrogen-auction-european-commission-publishes-terms-and-conditions-2024-09-27_en – On 27 September 2024, the European Commission published the final Terms and Conditions for its second auction for the production of renewable hydrogen (IF24 Auction), via the Innovation Fund. This auction, a key pillar of the European Hydrogen Bank, provides financial support to producers of hydrogen categorised as Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO). The auction opened on 3 December 2024 and awarded up to €1.2 billion in support to renewable hydrogen producers located in the European Economic Area (EEA). Building upon the success of the previous pilot auction, the second auction further contributed to the creation of a European market for renewable hydrogen by de-risking investments with public support.
- https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/11/05/hydrogen-council-calls-for-swift-implementation-of-eu-law-and-coordinated-action-for-networks-industry-and-investors/pdf/ – On 5 November 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on the special report of the Court of Auditors on the EU’s industrial policy on renewable hydrogen. The conclusions welcome the report, call for swift implementation of the EU’s regulatory framework, encourage development of an interconnected transportation network, and call on the Commission to take measures that support both the competitiveness of EU industry and security of investment. The report evaluates the Commission’s effectiveness in creating the right conditions for the emerging renewable and low-carbon hydrogen markets, assessing EU policy communications and legislative proposals.
- https://alternative-fuels-observatory.ec.europa.eu/general-information/news/commission-earmarks-eu46-billion-boost-net-zero-technologies-electric – On 3 December 2024, the European Commission announced the launch of two new calls for proposals with a budget of €3.4 billion to accelerate the deployment of innovative decarbonisation technologies in Europe, including electric vehicle batteries. Additionally, the Commission launched the second auction of the European Hydrogen Bank to accelerate the production of renewable hydrogen in the European Economic Area (EEA) with a budget of €1.2 billion from EU funds, plus over €700 million from three Member States. Both calls for proposals and the auction are financed by the Innovation Fund, using revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhWB4ZsxHeo – The European Court of Auditors released a special report evaluating the EU’s industrial policy on renewable hydrogen. The report highlights mixed success in providing the building blocks for the emerging renewable hydrogen market. While the European Commission has taken positive steps, challenges remain along the hydrogen value chain, and the EU is unlikely to meet its 2030 targets for the production and import of renewable hydrogen. The auditors call for a reality check to ensure that the EU’s targets are realistic and that its strategic choices on the way ahead will not impair the competitiveness of key industries or create new dependencies.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
6
Notes:
The article discusses the European Commission’s plan to revise its hydrogen policy, acknowledging that previous targets have not been met. Céline Gauer, Director-General for Energy, highlighted that only 5% of the electrolysers targeted for 2025 have been built. This information aligns with reports from May 2024, indicating that the narrative is not entirely fresh. Additionally, the article references a press release from the European Commission dated 27 September 2024, which is in the future relative to the article’s publication date. This suggests that the article may be speculative or based on anticipated events. The presence of a press release indicates that the content is derived from official communications, which typically warrants a lower freshness score. The article also references events from late 2024, which have not yet occurred, raising concerns about the accuracy and timeliness of the information presented. Given these factors, the freshness score is reduced to 6.
Quotes check
Score:
5
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Céline Gauer, Christophe Grudler, and Christian Ehler. However, these quotes cannot be independently verified through available sources. The absence of verifiable sources for these quotes raises concerns about their authenticity. Without independent confirmation, the reliability of these statements is questionable, leading to a reduced score.
Source reliability
Score:
4
Notes:
The article originates from Euractiv, a news organisation that focuses on EU policy. While Euractiv is known for its coverage of EU affairs, it is not as widely recognised as major news organisations like the BBC or Reuters. The article appears to be summarising or rewriting content from a press release issued by the European Commission, which is a common practice for news outlets. However, this raises concerns about the independence of the content, as it may lack original reporting. The reliance on a press release, which is a form of promotional content, further diminishes the source’s reliability. Given these factors, the source reliability score is reduced to 4.
Plausibility check
Score:
5
Notes:
The article discusses the European Commission’s plan to revise its hydrogen policy, acknowledging that previous targets have not been met. This aligns with known challenges in the EU’s hydrogen strategy. However, the article references events from late 2024, which have not yet occurred, raising concerns about the accuracy and timeliness of the information presented. The inclusion of speculative content about future events further diminishes the plausibility of the narrative. Given these issues, the plausibility score is reduced to 5.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents information about the European Commission’s hydrogen policy overhaul, referencing a press release from the European Commission dated 27 September 2024. However, this date is in the future relative to the article’s publication date, raising concerns about the accuracy and timeliness of the information presented. The reliance on a press release, which is a form of promotional content, diminishes the source’s reliability and the independence of the verification sources. The absence of independently verifiable quotes further undermines the credibility of the content. Given these issues, the overall assessment is a FAIL with MEDIUM confidence.
