Press Release: Reducing CO2 emissions: The Commission seeks to promote hydrogen powered vehicles

Hydrogen vehicles offer significant environmental benefits through lower pollution and zero exhaust pipe greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission wants to encourage and speed up the introduction of such cars. As a first step, the Commission is asking for the views of stakeholders and the general public on planned new rules to ensure the safe operation of hydrogen powered vehicles. This is crucial, since hydrogen is a highly flammable substance. The Commission draft proposal put out for consultation intends to incorporate hydrogen fuelled vehicles in the European type-approval framework, which is necessary to make sure that such vehicles can be marketed in the EU according to common standards. Stakeholders are invited to comment on the issues covered by the proposal, in particular, whether it would impose any undue burden on manufacturers or suppliers compared to the benefits in terms of safe operation of the vehicles. The closing date for comments is 15 September 2006.