Ljubljana, 3 September 2024
What is it about?
On 30 August 2024, future hydrogen transmission network operators submitted their draft statutory documents to the European Commission and ACER to formally establish the European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen (ENNOH) as an association under the Belgian law. These include the draft statutes, a list of members and draft rules of procedure (including the rules of procedure on the consultation of stakeholders).
Following the receipt of these documents, ACER has four months to review them and provide an opinion to the Commission.
What is ENNOH?
In December 2021, the European Commission proposed the Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Market package, updating the common rules on the internal market in natural gas and introducing a new regulatory framework for the hydrogen market. The new package (adopted in June 2024 through Directive 2024/1788 and Regulation 2024/1789) requires the establishment of ENNOH as an independent body to facilitate the cooperation of the EU’s hydrogen transmission network operators.
What are the next steps?
To inform its opinion, ACER will conduct a public consultation to gather inputs from stakeholders.
The public consultation will run from 23 September to 21 October 2024.
ACER has until 30 December 2024 to provide its opinion to the European Commission. As a final step, the Commission will issue its own opinion to the future hydrogen network operators, taking into account ACER’s opinion.
Source – ACER