Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, holds a press conference on the gas and hydrogen markets directive. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

press conference

GEIER, Jens (S&D, DE)

directive on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations (T)

Delivery EE2024 (T)

Press conference by Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, on the gas and hydrogen markets directive

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur, Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much for this opportunity to talk to you this afternoon. Yesterday evening, indeed, we had the final trilogue and we reached an agreement with the Council on the new Directive for the European Gas Markets, which contains the regulation for the hydrogen market. From the European Parliament's side were happy with this result because they focus that we had to.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, In our opinion, it was basically maintained and we made the efforts to one of you can compare this with the Commission position. We really did a lot to change that with the Renewable Energy Directive. We clarified the issue with as to where hydrogen should come from, how it's defined and how it should be used to with the gas market directive.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, able We're not to conclude the regulation. We need to do things with concrete things for the gas market, for the directive we have to ensure that it will be possible to invest in the hydrogen sector. And we have removed two obstacles which were there beforehand with regard to how you transform a gas company and how do you allow new market participants for future green gasses, and who will be allowed to do what in the regulation. So, these issues have been dealt with. So,we'll be able to that to remove the obstacles for hydrogen in the future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, We also focussed on hard to abate sectors like the steel and chemical industries to secure an exit from the fossil fuel sector by industry and to ensure that we will also create many new jobs with the hydrogen sector in the European Union. I'd also like to comment and say that two weeks ago I had a field visit to the United States and amongst other things.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, We looked at developments in the hydrogen sector, and I can only conclude that to where about ten years ahead of developments in the US, the situation there with the plans and implementation of our hydrogen projects, where they're basically the stage where we were ten years ago with the hydrogen joint undertaking. With the Information Reduction Act to some $10 billion will be invested in that sector.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, Now, with the legislative initiatives which are underway, we've created the premises to allow us to defend this lead. As I said, we've dealt with an investment obstacles that were in the original proposal. We have supported unbundling rules which they have also adhered to. What is possible now with natural gas in the EU will be possible for companies which are transporting hydrogen in future, that unbundling.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, The separating of transmission and distribution networks was not something that was planned by the Commission. This is adapting to your reality, but the situation is different in different countries. In my country there are some 700 distribution networks, mostly in public hands, in the public sector. So, these public utilities are secured and left to their management in the hands of municipalities to a large extent. Now, the horizontal unbundling is we reached a compromise and ensured that Member States have sufficient flexibility to remove obstacles to investment.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, Horizontal unbundling is dividing up some of the compulsory dividing up into several companies which have to be strictly controlled and we concluded the distribution networks for the transmission networks. There is a European regulation where Member states can in certain circumstances obtain an opt out and apply rules, which mean that the other rules are unnecessary.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, 'We have ensured that vulnerable groups and people suffering from energy poverty are being protected. Member States are obliged to take counter-measures in order to ensure that these people are not disconnected. The Parliament also insisted on work planning in order to ensure the transition from natural gas to hydrogen and with various studies and plans.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, Ensuring that planning for heating electricity and our becoming and well, this is subsequently done in certain cases, because there will be a move from district heating to other types and, also, focussed on cost efficiency for energy supply and new elements is a planning of the key pivotal points in the network with regard to the transition to hydrogen.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, In Germany alone last year, regenerator for electricity settlement of €4.2 billion, had to be secured and because we are able to store wind energy from the North Sea, thus allowing us to plan from electrolysers and to ensure the storage of hydrogen to be used as electricity or other forms of clean energy. Finally, certification of low carbon fuels, low carbon hydrogen. We have also implemented a reliable certification scheme. Thank you.

Q&A, First regarding on question the PCI list and the hydrogen projects into the list. Second question on the Rapporteur's expectations on the package.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens GEIER (S&D, DE), Rapporteur, '-

Q&A, Question regarding on the negotiations with the industrial sector industrial. Second question on   the biomethane ambitions on the regulation.

Q&A, Question regarding on the negotiations on article 62 and 63 on the unbundling.

Q&A, Question regarding on the possibility of deleting the unbundling horizontal article.

Q&A, Question regarding on EU bio gas target by 2023. Second question on additional cost for consumers because of the horizontal unbundling.