Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Markets Package
EU regulatory package governing hydrogen, biomethane and decarbonised gas market design.
Last refreshed: 29 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
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European Energy Markets- What is the EU Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Markets Package?
- A legislative package (Directive + Regulation) establishing market rules for hydrogen, biomethane and low-carbon gases in the EU, including network unbundling requirements, import infrastructure rules, and a new European hydrogen network operator body (ENNOH).
- How does the EU plan to regulate hydrogen pipelines?
- The package requires third-party access to hydrogen pipelines and creates ENNOH, the European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen, as the sectoral regulator analogous to ENTSOG for natural gas.
- What was discussed at the Madrid Gas Forum in April 2026?
- Day 2 of the 40th Madrid Gas Regulatory Forum on 29 April 2026 covered the Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Markets Package rollout, a REPowerEU gas import ban review, and the Gas and Biomethane Mechanism launch.Source: 40th Madrid Gas Regulatory Forum
Background
The Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas Markets Package is the EU legislative framework covering market design for hydrogen, biomethane, and low-carbon gases — the successor regime to the legacy natural gas market rules. Its rollout was a centrepiece of Day 2 at the 40th Madrid Gas Regulatory Forum on 29 April 2026, presented alongside the review of REPowerEU's gas import ban.
The package comprises a revised Gas Directive and a Gas Regulation, together establishing dedicated hydrogen networks, hydrogen import infrastructure, and certification rules for low-carbon and renewable hydrogen and biomethane. It requires network unbundling for hydrogen carriers, creates a framework for third-party access to hydrogen pipelines, and establishes a European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen (ENNOH) as the sectoral counterpart to ENTSOG for gas.
For European energy markets, the package is the primary legislative instrument for the clean-energy transition of the gas sector, determining how the EU integrates hydrogen into its broader energy security architecture alongside the winding-down of Russian pipeline gas dependency. Madrid Forum Day 2 is the principal venue for the Commission's regulatory dialogue with gas industry stakeholders on implementation.