Competitiveness Council agrees on JTI elements

On 25 February, the Competitiveness Council reached an agreement of the main elements for the launching of a Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative. Competitiveness ministers of the 27 Member States yesterday discussed a European Commission proposal for a public/private research partnership ("Joint Technology Initiative") to develop Fuel Cell and Hydrogen technology. This industry-led integrated programme of research, technology development and demonstration activities will receive € 470 million of funding from the EU's research programme over the next six years, an amount to be matched by the private sector. At the same meeting, ministers discussed the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, which mentions this initiative as an example for future European actions to develop new energy technologies.

The Council reached an agreement on a general approach for the setting up of a fuel cells and hydrogen joint technology initiative (JTI). This JTI is aimed at coordinating European research efforts by providing a framework encouraging large companies and SMEs throughout the EU to collaborate between themselves together with other stakeholders within the fuel cells and hydrogen field.

 Major specific objectives of the initiative include:

..enabling market breakthrough of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, thereby enabling commercial market forces to drive the substantial public benefits;

..placing Europe at the forefront of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies worldwide;

..reaching the critical mass of research effort to give confidence to industry, public and private investors, decision-makers and other  stakeholders to embark on a long-term programme;

..leveraging further industrial, national and regional investment in research and technological development.

This JTI is a research programme that aims, over the next six years, to speed up the development of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe thereby enabling their commercialisation between 2010 and 2020. The EU would contribute EUR 470 million and the private sector is expected to raise a similar amount.

Link: Council meeting results
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/intm/98919.pdf

Source: HFP