On 14 September 2022, the European Parliament voted to adopt its negotiating position on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive II. The Parliament agreed that its position should include a new headline target that 45% of all EU energy use would be sourced from renewable sources by 2030, and upward revised sectoral targets for buildings, transport and heating compared to the European Commission’s proposal.
There have been suggestions in the media that the EU ‘additionality’ requirements applied to the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as renewable hydrogen, have been effectively scrapped. This article clarifies the legal position in relation to the current status of the ‘additionality.’

Following the launch of the RePowerEU package, the European Commission continues to develop the regulatory framework applicable to renewable fuels of non-biological origin (mainly renewable hydrogen). Two draft Delegated Acts that will have a significant impact on the hydrogen market have been published for public consultation under the Renewable Energy Directive recast (REDII, Directive (EU) 2018/2001).

The European Recovery Plan will pump EUR 750 billion into the economy in the relative short term, with nearly half earmarked for climate change and digital investment. This funding will support the transformation to greener, more digital, sustainable and resilient economies, and businesses active across the EU will be able to benefit.

The ongoing shift in the Global Energy landscape has been accelerated by the firm commitment of many governments around the globe to decarbonise and achieve net zero, as well as, most recently, very significant geo-political developments. A number of new energy strategies have been launched by governments around the globe (most notably, in the EU, UK and USA) as well as new regulatory frameworks put into place to enable these strategies.

On 8 March 2022, the European Commission published a communication on a Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy. The communication outlines a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas.
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The legal recognition of a type of fuel via the introduction of a legal definition and certification framework is a defining step in establishing a market for such fuels. Renewable hydrogen took this step when it was officially recognized and supported at EU level by the 2018 recast of the Renewable Energy Directive, joining biofuels and biogases, at least for what concerns its uses in the transport sector.

Following the announcement of the Recovery Plan (ERP) by the European Commission on 27 May, European leaders have now agreed to create a EUR 750 billion (US 858 billion) recovery fund to support the recovery of EU economies affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The fund will allow companies to benefit…

Following the announcement of the Recovery Plan (ERP) by the European Commission on 27 May, European leaders have now agreed to create a EUR 750 billion (US 858 billion) recovery fund to support the recovery of EU economies affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The fund will allow companies to benefit…

There is an increasing sense of urgency and expectation about putting the global economy on a path toward sustainable development. The urgency stems from a massive projected investment gap of EUR 180 billion each year to meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals. In its 2018 Action Plan on Sustainable Finance,…

The Green New Deal is the flagship of the new European Commission (2020-2025), which has recently shed light on the likely substance of the initiative in a new Communication. The main ‘headline’ is that the EU Member States have agreed (by unanimity minus one, Poland) to put into law a…