The Implications of the REPowerEU Plan in Accelerating the Implementation of the European Union’s Hydrogen Strategy

Abstract

The paper analyses the context and implications of the adoption of the REPowerEU (May 2022), a European Union strategy for the reduction and elimination of dependency on fossil fuels imported from Russian Federation, and for the transition to a green economy. In this analysis, REPowerEU is placed within the context of EU’s strategic planning during the past 22 years, the focus of this research being on the transition to a hydrogen economy. The research reviews some challenges that may affect the implementation of REPowerEU and proposes their classification into three categories depending on their nature. The conclusions provide some solutions for overcoming these challenges and a couple of recommendations for Romania as a member of the European Union.

Keywords: REPowerEU, European Green Deal, green economy, hydrogen economy, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

JEL Classification: F02, F53, F64, O33, O38.