The Geopolitics of Hydrogen in Europe: The Interplay between EU and Member State Policies

Drawing on the findings of the case studies presented in this edited volume, this final chapter summarizes and discusses the geopolitical challenges of hydrogen development in the European Union. The chapter provides a review of how the interplay of national and EU-level politics and policies is shaping the EU’s domestic and international hydrogen policy. It presents key insights from the evolution of hydrogen policy in the EU, as well as at the national level in Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway (as a member of the European Economic Area). After reviewing important commonalities and differences across these cases, the chapter examines their interplay with policies at the EU level as well as potential synergies and sources of tension between the selected countries. It discusses how domestic politics and energy policy legacies shape differing policy approaches and priorities, including chosen technology pathways for hydrogen production, priority hydrogen uses and positions towards the development of cross-border infrastructure and trade. The chapter concludes with a reflection on how Europe’s strengths and vulnerabilities shape its role in the global geopolitics of hydrogen and inform its international engagement on the transition to net zero more broadly.