Proposal for a Council Regulation on the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking

One of the main aims of Horizon 2020, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation covering the period 2014-2020, is to strengthen European industry through actions supporting research and innovation across a range of industrial sectors. In particular, it provides for the creation of public-private partnerships that will contribute to tackling some of the key challenges Europe is facing.

This proposal provides for a prolongation of the Joint Undertaking in the field of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen launched under Seventh Framework Programme, in line with the Commission Communication 'Public-private partnerships in Horizon 2020: a powerful tool to deliver on innovation and growth in Europe', Commission Communications 'Energy 2020 - A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy' and 'Clean Power for Transport: A European alternative fuels'.

The general objective of the FCH 2 Joint Undertaking for the period of 2014-2024 is to develop a strong, sustainable and globally competitive fuel cells and hydrogen sector in the Union, in particular to:
– reduce the production cost of fuel cell systems to be used in transport applications, while increasing their lifetime to levels competitive with conventional technologies,
– increase the electrical efficiency and the durability of the different fuel cells used for power production, while reducing costs, to levels competitive with conventional technologies,
– increase the energy efficiency of production of hydrogen from water electrolysis while reducing capital costs, so that the combination of the hydrogen and the fuel cell system is competitive with the alternatives available in the marketplace, and
– demonstrate on a large scale the feasibility of using hydrogen to support integration of renewable energy sources into the energy systems, including through its use as a competitive energy storage medium for electricity produced from renewable energy sources.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)506: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:506:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)260: Impact assessment http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:260:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)261: Executive summary of the impact assessment http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:261:FIN

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission - Public-private partnerships in Horizon 2020: a powerful tool to deliver on innovation and growth in Europe http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-public-private-partnerships-in-horizon-2020-a-p/

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