INSTITUTION PROFILE / HYDROGEN ENERGY
European Commission
The proposer of EU hydrogen law, the author of the rules that define renewable hydrogen, and the manager of EU hydrogen funding. Member States do the implementing
The European Commission proposes much of the EU's hydrogen legislation, adopts the delegated regulations that set the conditions for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs), and runs funding instruments such as the European Hydrogen Bank and the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. But it does not adopt the laws themselves. RED III (the 2023 revision of the Renewable Energy Directive) and the hydrogen and gas market package were adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, and turning them into national law, granting permits and paying national subsidies is the job of the Member States. This profile looks at one question only: how much influence the Commission actually has over hydrogen energy. It contains no advice on handling or operating hydrogen.
What this article covers
- The European Commission in 30 seconds
- What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
- What it does for hydrogen energy
- How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
- Who it works with
- Outlook
- Glossary, references and claim-to-source audit
1. The European Commission in 30 seconds
FULL NAMEEuropean CommissionEnergy policy, including hydrogen, sits with the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER). The Commissioner for Energy is Dan Jørgensen (per the DG's page, checked October 2026)
REGIONEuropean UnionDG ENER's address is in Brussels, Belgium. The gas market rules are marked as relevant to the European Economic Area (EEA)
TYPE OF BODYEU institutionProposes laws, adopts delegated regulations and monitors Member States' implementation. Directives and regulations are adopted by the European Parliament and the Council
HYDROGEN STRATEGY8 July 2020"A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe", COM(2020) 301. It set a goal of 40 GW of electrolysers by 2030
STAFFAbout 33,000Permanent and contract staff across the whole Commission, as the Commission describes it. We could not find a figure for DG ENER alone
HYDROGEN FUNDINGAuctions and contributionsThird hydrogen auction: more than €1 billion awarded to 9 projects. The EU contribution to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership is capped at €1 billion
ROLE IN HYDROGEN ENERGYProposing law, delegated acts, fundingRED III, the hydrogen and gas market package, the RFNBO and low-carbon hydrogen methodologies, and state aid control
REACH27 Member States, plus exporters to the EUThe RFNBO rules also apply to hydrogen produced outside the EU and imported. They do not reach other countries' regulation
The one thing to grasp first
EU hydrogen law works through a division of labour: the Commission proposes, the European Parliament and the Council adopt, and Member States implement through national law Sourced. The Commission proposed RED III on 14 July 2021 (COM(2021) 557), and it was adopted as an act dated 18 October 2023. The hydrogen and gas market package was proposed on 15 December 2021 and adopted as acts dated 13 June 2024. The deadline to transpose the gas directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1788) was 5 August 2026. On 25 September 2026 the Commission sent letters of formal notice to 26 Member States; only Italy had notified full transposition by the deadline Sourced. So a Commission decision alone does not change what happens on the ground. It depends on how quickly Member States catch up. The EU also has other bodies that are separate from the Commission: ACER (the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators), ECHA (the European Chemicals Agency) and the EIB (the European Investment Bank).
2. What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
Unlike the companies in this series, none of the institutions that appear in hydrogen coverage produces hydrogen. What separates them is the route by which they influence the industry, and that gives four types. The Commission straddles "Policy & regulation" and "Funding".
3. What it does for hydrogen energy
EU hydrogen policy splits the work as follows. The Commission's job is to draw up strategies and proposals, fix the details through delegated regulations, run funding and watch how Member States implement. The final adoption of legislation belongs to the European Parliament and the Council, and implementation at home to the Member States Sourced.
Laws and strategy: who decided what
| Item | Who does it | What the primary sources say | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU hydrogen strategy | European Commission (strategy document) | COM(2020) 301, 8 July 2020. It set strategic goals of at least 6 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolysers in the EU by 2024 and at least 40 GW by 2030, with up to 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen produced in the EU by 2030. It is a Communication, not a law. The Commission describes the 2022 REPowerEU strategy as aiming at 10 million tonnes of domestic production and 10 million tonnes of imports by 2030 | Sourced |
| RED III Directive (EU) 2023/2413 | Proposed by the Commission, adopted by the Parliament and the Council, transposed by Member States | Proposed 14 July 2021 (COM(2021) 557); adopted as an act dated 18 October 2023; published in the Official Journal on 31 October 2023; in force 20 days after publication (20 November 2023). Transposition deadline 21 May 2025 (1 July 2024 for some permitting provisions). It amends the Renewable Energy Directive, Directive (EU) 2018/2001 | Sourced |
| RED III hydrogen targets | Obligations on Member States (the Commission monitors delivery) | Industry: RFNBOs must make up at least 42% of the hydrogen used for energy and as feedstock in industry by 2030 and 60% by 2035 (a Member State that meets stated conditions may cut the 2030 figure by 20%). Transport: advanced biofuels and biogas plus RFNBOs together must reach 1% in 2025 and 5.5% in 2030, of which at least 1 percentage point must be RFNBOs in 2030. Shipping: Member States with ports shall endeavour to supply RFNBOs as at least 1.2% of energy to maritime transport from 2030 | Sourced |
| RFNBO conditions Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 | Adopted by the Commission under a power in the Renewable Energy Directive; the Parliament and the Council can object within a set period | Dated 10 February 2023; published in the Official Journal on 20 June 2023; in force 20 days later (10 July 2023). The Commission says the final text was unchanged from the draft after scrutiny by the Parliament and the Council. The conditions are in the next table | Sourced |
| GHG calculation method Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185 | Adopted by the Commission | Sets how to calculate the life-cycle greenhouse gas savings of RFNBOs and recycled carbon fuels. The Commission says RFNBOs must achieve savings of at least 70%. Published in the Official Journal on 20 June 2023 | Sourced |
| Hydrogen and gas market package Directive (EU) 2024/1788 Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 | Proposed by the Commission, adopted by the Parliament and the Council, transposed by Member States | Proposed 15 December 2021 (COM(2021) 803 and 804); adopted as acts dated 13 June 2024; published 15 July 2024; in force 20 days later (4 August 2024). Directive transposition deadline 5 August 2026. The Regulation applies from 5 February 2025 (some articles from 4 August 2024 or 1 January 2025). It creates a framework for dedicated hydrogen infrastructure and markets, and defines low-carbon hydrogen as non-renewable hydrogen that cuts greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70% against the fossil fuel comparator in the RFNBO methodology | Sourced |
| Low-carbon hydrogen methodology Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2359 | Adopted by the Commission under a power in the gas directive | Dated 8 July 2025; published in the Official Journal on 21 November 2025; in force 20 days later (11 December 2025). Its recitals say the Commission should launch, by 30 June 2026, a public consultation on alternative ways to recognise low-carbon electricity from nuclear power. We could not confirm whether that consultation has started | Sourced |
| ENNOH, the network operators' body for hydrogen | Hydrogen transmission network operators (set up under the Regulation); the Commission gives an opinion | Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 provides for it. The Commission published its opinion on the statutory documents on 16 May 2025, and the operators published the final documents on 25 June 2025 | Sourced |
* Entry-into-force dates "20 days after publication" are our calculation from the Official Journal publication date and each act's entry-into-force clause; the Commission's pages describe the rule as "20 days after publication". Numbers and dates were checked against references 1 to 11, 14 and 16.
The RFNBO conditions (Delegated Regulation 2023/1184) in detail
| Item | What the primary sources say | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | The conditions under which electricity used to make renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin counts as fully renewable. They apply whether the fuel is produced inside or outside the EU | Sourced |
| Additionality | The renewable electricity plant must have come into operation no more than 36 months before the fuel production plant, and must not have received operating or investment aid (via the producer's own plant or a power purchase agreement). A transition rule lets plants that start before 1 January 2028 skip parts of this requirement until 1 January 2038 | Sourced |
| Temporal correlation | Until 31 December 2029, production in the same calendar month as the contracted renewable generation. From 1 January 2030, the same one-hour period. The condition is always treated as met in an hour when the day-ahead clearing price is at or below €20 per MWh, or below 0.36 times the EU ETS allowance price | Sourced |
| Geographical correlation | The renewable plant sits in the same bidding zone as the electrolyser. Interconnected zones also qualify if prices there are equal or higher, as do interconnected offshore zones. Member States may add criteria | Sourced |
| Cases that need no further proof | A direct line to a renewable plant (under conditions); a bidding zone whose renewable share exceeded 90% the previous year (with a cap on operating hours); a zone with grid emission intensity below 18 gCO2eq/MJ (with power purchase agreement conditions); and hours when renewable plants were redispatched downwards | Sourced |
| Review | By 1 July 2028 the Commission must report to the Parliament and the Council on the impact of the requirements, including temporal correlation. The Commission's page also says the delegated act is subject to a review in July 2028 | Sourced |
A materials engineer's view: the rule governs power sourcing, not electrolyser materials
Delegated Regulation 2023/1184 sets the conditions under which the electricity used for electrolysis counts as renewable. It does not specify electrolyser materials, structure or catalysts Sourced. That said, hourly matching from 2030 may mean electrolysers follow variable renewable output more often, which could make durability under fluctuating load and repeated start-stop cycling a bigger materials question Not yet confirmed. This is our inference; the regulation says nothing of the kind. For electrolyser materials, see our explainers on PEM water electrolysis, alkaline water electrolysis and electrolyser stacks and materials.
Funding and review: who pays and who decides
| Item | Who does it | What the primary sources say | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Hydrogen Bank | Run internally by Commission services; not a physical bank | The concept was set out in Communication COM(2023) 156 of 16 March 2023. The domestic (EEA) pillar pays a fixed premium per kilogram of certified RFNBO hydrogen. Money comes through Innovation Fund auctions, and grant agreements are signed with the executive agency CINEA | Sourced |
| Hydrogen auction results | European Commission (the Directorate-General for Climate Action runs the auctions) | First auction (November 2023 to February 2024): nearly €720 million to 7 projects from 132 bids. Second (December 2024 to February 2025): 61 bids, 15 projects invited to prepare grant agreements, of which 6 signed on 20 January 2026 for €270.6 million in total. Third (4 December 2025 to 19 February 2026): 58 bids from 11 countries against a €1.3 billion budget; more than €1 billion awarded to 9 projects, with grant agreements expected in the last quarter of 2026. Spain and Germany added €1.7 billion of national funds through "Auctions-as-a-Service" | Sourced |
| Innovation Fund | European Commission (Directorate-General for Climate Action) | Reinvests EU Emissions Trading System revenue in innovative low-carbon technologies. Established by Article 10a(8) of Directive 2003/87/EC | Sourced |
| Clean Hydrogen Partnership | The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (members: the Commission, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research) | Set up by Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085. The EU contribution is capped at €1 billion, and members other than the EU must contribute at least €1 billion. A public-private partnership under Horizon Europe, running 2021 to 2027 | Sourced |
| IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) | The Commission approves state aid; the participating Member States pay | Hy2Tech (July 2022, 41 projects), Hy2Use (September 2022), Hy2Infra (February 2024) and Hy2Move (May 2024, up to €1.4 billion of state aid from 7 Member States) | Sourced |
| Monitoring implementation | European Commission (infringement procedure) | On RED III, reasoned opinions to 8 countries in December 2025 and to Croatia on 1 October 2026. On the gas directive, letters of formal notice to 26 countries on 25 September 2026 | Sourced |
* The third auction's "awarded" figure is the Commission's announcement, before grant agreements are signed. The expected signing period is a plan, not a certainty Not yet confirmed. Amounts are in euros as published, with no conversion.
4. How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
| Aspect | What the Commission has | What it does not have |
|---|---|---|
| Powers: law | The power to propose legislation. The power to adopt delegated regulations under powers in the Renewable Energy Directive and the gas directive (RFNBO conditions, low-carbon hydrogen methodology). Publishing guidance and recognising voluntary certification schemes | The power to adopt directives and regulations (the Parliament and the Council do that). A delegated regulation also fails to enter into force if the Parliament or the Council objects in time |
| Powers: funding and review | Designing and running Innovation Fund and European Hydrogen Bank auctions. Membership of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Approving state aid such as IPCEIs | Paying for IPCEIs (participating Member States do). Permitting individual hydrogen projects |
| Powers: implementation | Checking national transposition and opening infringement procedures (letters of formal notice, reasoned opinions) | Transposing directives itself, national subsidies, permits, and building pipelines (Member States and operators) |
| Geography | The EU (27 Member States). The RFNBO conditions also apply to producers outside the EU who export to it. The auctions are open to projects in the European Economic Area (EEA) | Regulation outside the EU. Ship fuels are governed separately by treaties of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) |
| Scale | About 33,000 permanent and contract staff across the Commission. The third hydrogen auction had a €1.3 billion budget, and the EU contribution to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership is capped at €1 billion | We could not find the number of staff at DG ENER or the total amount the Commission spends on hydrogen alone |
Easily confused: ACER, ECHA and the EIB
ACER (the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators) is a separate body established by Regulation (EU) 2019/942; the gas directive says ACER is to publish a report on the impact of the hydrogen market rules by 5 August 2034. ECHA (the European Chemicals Agency) is a separate body dealing with chemicals, and the EIB (the European Investment Bank) is the EU's lending arm Sourced. The definition of RFNBOs and the European Hydrogen Bank auctions are the Commission's work, not these three bodies'. Nor does the Commission "certify hydrogen projects". Compliance with the RFNBO rules is shown through voluntary certification schemes recognised by the Commission, and Member States must accept evidence from those schemes.
5. Who it works with
Through its legislation the Commission affects every company in hydrogen, but it is not an institution tied one-to-one to particular firms. The diagram below shows only institutional flows that the primary sources document. Winners of individual auctions are published by the Commission, and this article does not rank companies.
| Body | Relationship to the Commission (primary sources) |
|---|---|
| European Parliament and Council | Adopt directives and regulations. For delegated regulations they can object within two months of notification, extendable by two months |
| Member States | Transpose directives, grant permits and pay national aid. The Commission checks through infringement procedures |
| CINEA | The executive agency that signs grant agreements for the hydrogen auctions (Commission page) |
| Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research | Members of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (Council Regulation 2021/2085). An industry group and a research group; not the Commission itself |
| ENNOH | The body of hydrogen transmission network operators under Regulation 2024/1789. The Commission issued an opinion on its statutory documents |
| Certification schemes | Voluntary third-party schemes used to prove RFNBO compliance. The Commission recognises them, and Member States must accept evidence from recognised schemes |
Our technology explainers on hydrogen colours and carbon intensity, PEM water electrolysis, alkaline water electrolysis, hydrogen pipelines and ammonia cover the technical background to the "renewable hydrogen" and "low-carbon hydrogen" that these laws define. Our company profiles cover firms, such as electrolyser makers, that are affected by the auctions and rules.
6. Outlook
| What can be read from the sources | Primary evidence | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Transposition of the gas directive is late in most Member States, so some countries may move to the next stage of the infringement procedure (a reasoned opinion) within the coming months | On 25 September 2026 the Commission sent letters of formal notice to 26 countries. They have two months to respond, and if the response is not satisfactory the Commission may issue a reasoned opinion | Inference |
| By 1 July 2028 the Commission is to report on the impact of the RFNBO delegated regulation (including temporal correlation) and of the RED III RFNBO methodology | Article 10 of Delegated Regulation 2023/1184 and the provisions of RED III. Whether the rules change as a result has not been decided | Not yet confirmed |
| Whether any amendment to Delegated Regulation 2023/1184 has been proposed or adopted | As of October 2026 we could not find a proposal or adoption on the Commission's Renewable hydrogen page or in the Official Journal | Not yet confirmed |
| A proposal for the post-2030 renewable energy framework is planned by the end of 2026 | A public consultation opened on 20 March 2026 (the public consultation ran to 12 June 2026). The Commission says it plans to adopt the legislative proposal by the end of the year. We could not confirm what it will contain on hydrogen | Not yet confirmed |
| The fourth hydrogen auction (IF26 Hydrogen Auction) is planned to open in December 2026 and close in February 2027 | The Directorate-General for Climate Action's page. Budget of up to €500 million (€350 million for RFNBO hydrogen under topic 1; €150 million for RFNBO hydrogen or electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen under topic 2). Public consultation on the draft terms (published 9 July 2026) ended on 8 September 2026, and the final design will follow that feedback | Not yet confirmed |
| Signing of grant agreements for the third auction | The Commission's page says they are expected in the last quarter of 2026 | Not yet confirmed |
| A public consultation on how to treat nuclear-based electricity in the low-carbon hydrogen methodology | The recitals of Delegated Regulation 2025/2359 say it should start by 30 June 2026. We could not confirm that it has | Not yet confirmed |
| As January 2030, when temporal correlation moves to hourly matching, approaches, debate about reviewing or applying the rule may grow | Article 6 of Delegated Regulation 2023/1184 (hourly from 1 January 2030) and Article 10 (report by 1 July 2028) | Inference |
7. Glossary
- RFNBO
- Renewable fuels of non-biological origin: liquid or gaseous fuels whose energy comes from renewable sources other than biomass. Renewable hydrogen made by electrolysis is the main example.
- RED II / RED III
- The Renewable Energy Directive (Directive (EU) 2018/2001) and its 2023 revision (Directive (EU) 2023/2413). The latter sets the hydrogen targets for industry and transport.
- Delegated regulation
- A regulation in which the Commission fills in details under a power given by a law adopted by the Parliament and the Council. It enters into force unless the Parliament or the Council objects in time.
- Transposition
- A Member State turning a directive's content into its own national law. Regulations apply directly in all Member States without transposition.
- Additionality, temporal and geographical correlation
- Conditions requiring the electricity for hydrogen to come from new renewable plants (additionality), generated at the same time (temporal) and in a nearby location (geographical).
- Bidding zone
- A geographic area in the wholesale power market within which one price applies.
- Low-carbon hydrogen
- Non-renewable hydrogen that cuts greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70% against the fossil fuel comparator in the RFNBO methodology (the gas directive's definition).
- Infringement procedure
- The Commission's step-by-step process when a Member State fails to transpose a directive in time: letter of formal notice, reasoned opinion, then referral to the Court of Justice.
8. References
- EU (Official Journal) Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (RED III). Adoption date, publication date, transposition deadline, Article 22a (industry RFNBO target), Article 25 (transport targets) and Article 22b. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj/eng
- European Commission (Official Journal) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 (RFNBO methodology). Additionality, temporal and geographical correlation, transitional rule and report. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/1184/oj/eng
- European Commission (Official Journal) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185 (greenhouse gas savings methodology for RFNBOs and recycled carbon fuels). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/1185/oj/eng
- EU (Official Journal) Directive (EU) 2024/1788 (hydrogen and gas market directive). Adoption date, transposition deadline, definition of low-carbon hydrogen, ACER report. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1788/oj/eng
- EU (Official Journal) Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 (hydrogen and gas market regulation). Application dates and ENNOH. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1789/oj/eng
- European Commission (Official Journal) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2359 (low-carbon fuels methodology). Dated 8 July 2025, published 21 November 2025, recital on the consultation, review. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/2359/oj/eng
- Council of the EU (Official Journal) Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 (Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe). Members of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the EU contribution cap of €1 billion. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2085/oj/eng
- European Commission COM(2020) 301 final, "A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe" (8 July 2020). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0301
- European Commission COM(2021) 557 final (proposal for RED III, 14 July 2021). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0557
- European Commission COM(2021) 803 final (proposal for the hydrogen and gas market directive, 15 December 2021). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0803
- European Commission COM(2021) 804 final (proposal for the hydrogen and gas market regulation, 15 December 2021). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0804
- European Commission (DG Energy) Hydrogen (policy framework, REPowerEU goals, IPCEIs, Clean Hydrogen Partnership, ENNOH). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) Renewable hydrogen (RFNBO targets, the two delegated regulations, certification schemes, July 2028 review). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen/renewable-hydrogen_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) Renewable hydrogen production: new rules formally adopted (20 June 2023). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/renewable-hydrogen-production-new-rules-formally-adopted-2023-06-20_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) European Hydrogen Bank (how it works; results of auctions 1 to 3). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen/european-hydrogen-bank_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) Hydrogen and decarbonised gas market (adoption, entry into force and transposition deadline of the package; ENNOH). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/market-legislation/hydrogen-and-decarbonised-gas-market-package_en
- European Commission (DG Climate Action) Innovation Fund (funding source and legal basis; page updated 9 July 2026). https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund_en
- European Commission (DG Climate Action) IF26 Hydrogen Auction (budget, consultation on draft terms, planned opening and closing). https://climate.ec.europa.eu/areas-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/calls-proposals/if26-hydrogen-auction_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) Commission takes action to ensure complete and timely transposition of EU directives (25 September 2026; letters of formal notice on the gas directive). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-takes-action-ensure-complete-and-timely-transposition-eu-directives-key-decisions-energy-2026-09-25_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) October infringements package: key decisions on energy (1 October 2026; reasoned opinion on RED III). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/october-infringements-package-key-decisions-energy-2026-10-01_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) December infringements package: key decisions on energy (11 December 2025; reasoned opinions on RED III). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/december-infringements-package-key-decisions-energy-2025-12-11_en
- European Commission (DG Energy) Post-2030 Renewable energy framework: public consultation (20 March 2026). https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/post-2030-renewable-energy-framework-public-consultation-2026-03-20_en
- European Commission Commission staff (about 33,000 permanent and contract employees). https://commission.europa.eu/about/organisation/commission-staff_en
- European Commission Energy (responsibilities of the Directorate-General for Energy, Commissioner, address). https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/energy_en
- EU (Official Journal) Regulation (EU) 2019/942 (establishing ACER). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/942/oj/eng
- European Investment Bank Who we are (describes itself as the lending arm of the EU). https://www.eib.org/en/about/index.htm
- Publications Office of the EU EU Whoiswho: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (listed as a separate organisation in the EU directory). https://op.europa.eu/en/web/who-is-who/organization/-/organization/ECHA
9. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the article | Category | Source |
|---|---|---|
| RED III adoption date (act dated 18 October 2023), publication, transposition deadlines (21 May 2025; 1 July 2024 for some provisions) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj/eng |
| RED III hydrogen targets (industry 42% and 60%, transport 5.5% with 1 percentage point of RFNBOs, 1.2% shipping aim, the 20% reduction condition) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj/eng |
| RED III proposal date (14 July 2021, COM(2021) 557) | Sourced | Reference 9 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0557 |
| Delegated Regulation 2023/1184: dates (10 February 2023; published 20 June 2023), additionality, temporal and geographical correlation, cases needing no further proof, transitional rule, report by 1 July 2028 | Sourced | Reference 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/1184/oj/eng |
| The final text was unchanged from the draft; entry into force 20 days after publication | Sourced | Reference 14 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/renewable-hydrogen-production-new-rules-formally-adopted-2023-06-20_en |
| Delegated Regulation 2023/1185: content and publication date | Sourced | Reference 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2023/1185/oj/eng |
| RFNBOs must achieve savings of at least 70%; certification schemes; July 2028 review | Sourced | Reference 13 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen/renewable-hydrogen_en |
| Gas directive: adoption date, transposition deadline (5 August 2026), definition of low-carbon hydrogen, ACER report by 5 August 2034 | Sourced | Reference 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1788/oj/eng |
| Gas regulation: application dates (5 February 2025 and others), ENNOH | Sourced | Reference 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1789/oj/eng |
| Package proposal date (15 December 2021, COM(2021) 803 and 804) | Sourced | Reference 10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0803 Reference 11 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0804 |
| The package entered into force 20 days after publication; the Commission's opinion on ENNOH's statutory documents (16 May 2025) and their publication (25 June 2025) | Sourced | Reference 16 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/market-legislation/hydrogen-and-decarbonised-gas-market-package_en |
| Low-carbon fuels Delegated Regulation 2025/2359: dates and the recital on the consultation | Sourced | Reference 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/2359/oj/eng |
| Hydrogen strategy (8 July 2020) goals: 6 GW and 40 GW of electrolysers, up to 10 million tonnes | Sourced | Reference 8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0301 |
| REPowerEU goals (10 million tonnes of domestic production plus 10 million tonnes of imports), IPCEI approval dates, Clean Hydrogen Partnership period | Sourced | Reference 12 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen_en |
| Members of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking; EU contribution cap of €1 billion (members other than the EU at least €1 billion) | Sourced | Reference 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2085/oj/eng |
| How the European Hydrogen Bank works and the results of auctions 1 to 3 | Sourced | Reference 15 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen/european-hydrogen-bank_en |
| Innovation Fund financed by EU ETS revenue; legal basis (Article 10a(8) of Directive 2003/87/EC) | Sourced | Reference 17 https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund_en |
| Fourth hydrogen auction (IF26): budget and planned dates | Not yet confirmed | Reference 18 https://climate.ec.europa.eu/areas-action/eu-funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/calls-proposals/if26-hydrogen-auction_en |
| Gas directive: letters of formal notice to 26 Member States (25 September 2026); only Italy notified on time | Sourced | Reference 19 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-takes-action-ensure-complete-and-timely-transposition-eu-directives-key-decisions-energy-2026-09-25_en |
| RED III reasoned opinions (8 countries in December 2025; Croatia on 1 October 2026) | Sourced | Reference 20 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/october-infringements-package-key-decisions-energy-2026-10-01_en Reference 21 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/december-infringements-package-key-decisions-energy-2025-12-11_en |
| The post-2030 renewable energy framework consultation (20 March 2026) and the planned proposal | Not yet confirmed | Reference 22 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/post-2030-renewable-energy-framework-public-consultation-2026-03-20_en |
| Commission staff of about 33,000 | Sourced | Reference 23 https://commission.europa.eu/about/organisation/commission-staff_en |
| Responsibilities of DG ENER, the Commissioner for Energy (Dan Jørgensen) and the address | Sourced | Reference 24 https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/energy_en |
| ACER is a separate body established by Regulation 2019/942 | Sourced | Reference 25 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/942/oj/eng |
| The EIB is "the lending arm of the European Union"; ECHA is a separate body | Sourced | Reference 26 https://www.eib.org/en/about/index.htm Reference 27 https://op.europa.eu/en/web/who-is-who/organization/-/organization/ECHA |
| The four types of institution and the arrangement of Fig. 2 | Our calculation | Our own classification |
| Entry-into-force dates calculated from publication (10 July 2023, 20 November 2023, 4 August 2024, 11 December 2025) | Our calculation | Our own calculation from each act's publication date and its "20 days after publication" clause |
| The total the Commission spends on hydrogen alone, and DG ENER staff numbers | Not yet confirmed | Not stated in the sources; this article does not estimate them |
| Whether Delegated Regulation 2023/1184 has been amended, and whether the nuclear consultation has begun | Not yet confirmed | Not found in the primary sources as of October 2026; this article does not guess |
| The two points marked as inference in section 6, and the inference in the materials engineer's view | Inference | This article's reading of the periods and procedures in references 1, 2, 19 and 22 |
Last updated 5 October 2026 / Troy Technical
Figures and dates come from the EU's Official Journal (EUR-Lex) and from the Commission's own pages and announcements. Entry-into-force dates calculated from publication are our own calculation. Items marked "Inference" are this article's reading of the primary information. This is an explanation of the rules, not advice on any business or handling of hydrogen.