Moleküle des Wassers

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During their meeting in Brussels today, the EU Energy Ministers agreed on important policies to decarbonise the gas market. The gas and hydrogen markets decarbonisation package includes essential rules on the ramp-up of the hydrogen market and the regulation of future hydrogen networks, and thus improves planning and investment certainty. Dr Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, represented the German Federal Government at the Council meeting.

Parliamentary State Secretary Dr Brantner said: "Green hydrogen will be crucial for climate neutrality in Europe. It is therefore a good signal that the Council of EU Energy Ministers today succeeded in initiating key steps to promote the market ramp-up of green hydrogen in Europe. The gas and hydrogen package can create the planning certainty that is urgently needed for the necessary investments."
In addition, the EU Member States agreed on the extension of the efforts to save gas by another year until March 2024. The target to temporarily reduce gas consumption throughout Europe by a minimum of 15% until spring 2023 had been set in summer 2022.

Parliamentary State Secretary Dr Brantner said: "The substantial reduction of gas consumption has contributed to the fact that it was possible to guarantee security of supply during last winter and that energy prices have stabilised. For this to succeed also in the coming winter, we have agreed at today’s Energy Council to continue to press for gas savings. This is good and important."

The next step after the general approaches reached at today’s Council is the trilogue procedure between the Commission and the European Parliament to bring together the outcome of the discussions. The German Federal Government will continue to play an active role to guarantee a practical legal framework that helps to attain the targets of the National Hydrogen Strategy.