National hydrogen associations from across Europe signed a Cooperation Charter which will guide the joint efforts to establish favourable conditions for European leadership in hydrogen technologies.
Among the signatories, several are coming from Central and Eastern Europe, namely the Croatian Hydrogen Association, H2 – Hydrogen Cell Croatia, the Estonian Hydrogen Association, the Hungarian Hydrogen Technology Association, the Hungarian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, the Polish National Association (Cluster of Hydrogen and Clean Coal Technologies), Hydrogen Poland Association, the Slovak National Hydrogen Association, the National Hydrogen Association of Slovenia, the Ukrainian Hydrogen Association and the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council.
Recognising the strategic role of national associations in the development of favourable national legal frameworks and the importance of the upcoming European Parliament elections, the event and the Charter mark a significant milestone in the implementation of a unified European approach. Through the signed document, the associations commit to working together towards their common goals, via actions to promote hydrogen technologies deployment, de-risking of investments and the development of capacity-building efforts.
“The Cooperation Charter for European Associations Advancing Clean Hydrogen […] is an expression of our commitment to working together in the coming years to facilitate hydrogen deployment at national levels”, said Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe. “It is a very anticipated event, recognising the role of our hydrogen associations in supporting their governments and industry in the challenging task of transposing sector-defining legislation and targets at the national level, such as RED III.”
Among the key principles in the Cooperation Charter there are the following:
- advocating for comprehensive policy backing for hydrogen technologies at national, regional and European levels;
- working together to establish thriving clean hydrogen markets and skills development, based on a technology-open approach;
- supporting the effective integration of EU legislation into national frameworks, fostering harmonisation across Europe;
- sharing best practices through participation in national and European events organised by fellow associations, and actively participating in the European Hydrogen Week;
- establishing alliances with national chambers of commerce and other relevant organisations to advocate for hydrogen as a crucial tool for reducing carbon emissions.