Date: 2026-07-10Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1551 of 9 July 2026 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the renewal of the temporary exclusion of offers of hydrogen supplies originating in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus from being collected through the mechanism to support the market development of hydrogen
**Executive Summary**
This Decision renews the temporary exclusion of hydrogen supply offers originating from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus from the Union's Hydrogen Mechanism until 30 July 2027. It aims to protect the EU's essential security interests and security of supply by preventing market manipulation and reducing dependency on Russian energy exports. The Decision enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**The Hydrogen Mechanism and Scope**
* The mechanism, implemented under the European Hydrogen Bank since July 2025, coordinates information on hydrogen demand, supply, flows, and prices.
* It serves off-takers in the Union, Energy Community Contracting Parties, and both domestic and international suppliers.
* The scope of "hydrogen supply" includes liquid organic hydrogen carriers, liquid hydrogen, and derivatives such as ammonia or methanol.
**Security and Strategic Objectives**
* The exclusion is a preventative measure against the risk of Russia or Belarus using energy supplies to manipulate markets or exert economic coercion.
* It supports the Union’s strategic goal to phase out dependency on Russian energy imports, as outlined in the REPowerEU Roadmap.
* The Decision addresses specific risks in the nascent hydrogen market, which is less liquid than the natural gas market and more vulnerable to supply dependencies.
**Market and Legal Framework**
* The renewal is deemed not to disrupt the internal market, as hydrogen supplies from Russia and Belarus are currently very limited.
* The measure respects the principle of energy solidarity and does not restrict the rights of Member States to trade hydrogen with third countries outside of this voluntary mechanism.
* The Commission may propose further renewals if justified by future assessments of the geopolitical situation and energy security.
**Impact Analysis**
**European Hydrogen Bank and Mechanism Operators**
**Impact**
They are prohibited from collecting or processing hydrogen supply offers that originate from Russia or Belarus.
**Action Required**
Operators must ensure their data collection and coordination systems exclude offers from these jurisdictions until 30 July 2027.
**Hydrogen Suppliers in Russia and Belarus**
**Impact**
Suppliers from these regions are barred from accessing the Union’s coordinated mechanism for market development and transparency.
**Action Required**
No action specified; their participation is restricted under this Decision.
**EU Off-takers and Member States**
**Impact**
Off-takers using the mechanism are restricted to sourcing from alternative domestic or international suppliers. Member States' rights to trade independently outside the mechanism remain unaffected.
**Action Required**
Off-takers must utilize the mechanism in compliance with the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian supplies.
**European Commission**
**Impact**
Responsible for monitoring the geopolitical situation and the security of supply.
**Action Required**
The Commission must inform the European Parliament and the Council of its assessments and propose renewals of the exclusion if the security risks persist.
Key Entities Referenced
Regulation (EU) 2024/1789: The primary legislation concerning the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas, and hydrogen, providing the legal basis for the hydrogen mechanism.
Hydrogen Mechanism: A coordination scheme established to support market development by connecting hydrogen demand and supply and increasing market transparency.
European Hydrogen Bank: The initiative under which the Hydrogen Mechanism is implemented and operated to support the EU hydrogen market.
Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus: The specific countries whose hydrogen supply offers are excluded from the mechanism to protect the Union’s security of supply.
REPowerEU Plan: The EU policy framework aimed at ending dependency on Russian fossil fuel imports and preventing the weaponization of energy supplies.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2026/1551 10.7.2026
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2026/1551
of 9 July 2026
laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 of the European Parliament and
of the Council as regards the renewal of the temporary exclusion of offers of hydrogen supplies
originating in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus from being collected through the
mechanism to support the market development of hydrogen
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on the
internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen, amending Regulations (EU) No 1227/2011,
(EU) 2017/1938, (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2022/869 and Decision (EU) 2017/684 and repealing Regulation (EC)
No 715/2009(1), and in particular Article 54(1) and (2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The Commission established the Hydrogen Mechanism (‘the mechanism’) to support the market development of
hydrogen referred to in Article 52 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 which is to be implemented under the activities of
the European Hydrogen Bank(2). The mechanism was launched in July 2025. The mechanism aims to increase the
transparency of hydrogen demand, supply, flows and prices. It plays a coordination role, by connecting, processing,
and giving access to information on demand for and supply of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen
derivatives, submitted by: off-takers established in the Union; the Energy Community Contracting Parties; and
domestic and international suppliers. The mechanism is to be implemented and operate in accordance with the
Union competition rules, in particular Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
(2) Hydrogen supply refers to the sale, including resale, of hydrogen, including in the form of liquid organic hydrogen
carriers or liquid hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives including ammonia or methanol to customers(3).
(3) Russia and Belarus produce significant volumes of fossil fuel-based hydrogen and derivatives (such as ammonia).
Also, there is potential for substantial sales and supplies of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen
derivatives originating from Russia and Belarus. It is not excluded that some of those hydrogen and hydrogen
derivatives volumes would be exported, also to the Union.
(4) Experience with energy supplies from Russia and Belarus has shown that Russia exploited the Union’s dependence on
its energy exports to the Union as a means of manipulations and to exert coercion. Russia has systematically abused
dependencies to the detriment of the Union’s economy and economic security, and used energy supply relationships
with partners in the Union to manipulate markets and to weaken the Union’s security of supply.
(5) There is a risk that Russia and Belarus would try to establish similar business relationships and dependencies with
regard to exports of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives to the Union which could be
used to manipulate markets.
(1) OJ L, 2024/1789, 15.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1789/oj.
(2) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and
the Committee of the Regions on the European Hydrogen Bank, COM(2023) 156 final, 16.3.2023.
(3) Article 2, point (28), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on common rules
for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen, amending Directive (EU) 2023/1791 and repealing
Directive 2009/73/EC (OJ L, 2024/1788, 15.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1788/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1551/oj 1/3EN
OJ L, 10.7.2026
(6) Allowing supplies originating in Russia or Belarus to be offered through the mechanism could permit Russia and
Belarus to gain a significant foothold in the Union market, thereby facilitating attempts to manipulate the nascent
hydrogen market.
(7) As hydrogen is often used by large industrial customers, and as the hydrogen market is much less liquid than the
market for natural gas, establishing new supply dependencies with Russia or Belarus could enable those countries to
continue their strategy towards the Union of endangering security of supply by manipulating markets, interrupting
supplies, or any other form of weaponisation of energy supplies.
(8) Although those risks are present even in the case of smaller shares in the overall volumes, collecting Russian and
Belarusian hydrogen supply offers via the mechanism to support the market development of hydrogen could
significantly increase the role and visibility of Russia and Belarus on the Union hydrogen market. That would run
counter to the Union’s efforts to phase out its dependency on Russian energy imports(4) and avoid new
dependencies on energy supplies from those countries(5).
(9) On 22 July 2025, the Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1486(6) by which it excluded for a
period of one year offers of hydrogen supplies originating in Russia or Belarus from being collected through the
mechanism.
(10) In view of the geopolitical situation and taking into account that the risks related to energy deliveries from Russia and
Belarus persist, it is necessary to renew the temporary exclusion of offers of hydrogen supplies originating in the
Russian Federation or Belarus from being collected through the mechanism in order to protect the Union’s essential
security interests and security of supply.
(11) The renewal of the temporary exclusion would not unduly disrupt the proper functioning of the internal market for
hydrogen and would not undermine the security of supply of the Union or of a Member State, notably because the
Union hydrogen market is still nascent with very limited supplies from Russia and Belarus. Furthermore, the renewal
of the temporary exclusion respects the principle of energy solidarity(7), because it is taken in the interest of the
Union with regard to the mechanism, without undue impacts on the rights of Member States or their economic
operators to trade hydrogen, including renewable and low-carbon, and its derivatives with third countries outside
the voluntary mechanism. Moreover, this Decision is taken in accordance with the rights and obligations of the
Union or of the Member States with respect to third countries.
(12) In accordance with Article 54(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789, the Commission has duly informed the European
Parliament and the Council about its assessment, and may propose to renew this Decision, if justified, also with a
view to aligning the measure with other Union policies, such as the RePowerEU Roadmap(8), which aims to further
advance the Union’s independence from Russian energy by measures to support the phase out of gas, nuclear, and
oil energy imports to reduce risks of weaponisation of energy supplies, and Regulation (EU) 2026/261 of the
European Parliament and of the Council(9),
(4) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, REPowerEU Plan, COM(2022) 230 final, 18.5.2022.
(5) Recital 71 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789.
(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1486 of 22 July 2025 laying down rules for the application of Regulation
(EU) 2024/1789 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the temporary exclusion of offers of hydrogen supplies
originating in the Russian Federation or Belarus from being collected through the mechanism to support the market development of
hydrogen(OJ L, 2025/1486, 23.7.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/1486/oj).
(7) See the judgment of the Court of Justice of 15 July 2021, Germanyv Poland,C-848/19 P, ECLI:EU:C:2021:598, paragraph 71.
(8) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and
the Committee of the Regions, Roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports, COM(2025) 440 final/2, 12.5.2025.
(9) Regulation (EU) 2026/261 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 January 2026 on phasing out Russian natural gas
imports and preparing the phase-out of Russian oil imports, improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies and amending
Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 (OJ L, 2026/261, 2.2.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2026/261/oj).
2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1551/ojEN
OJ L, 10.7.2026
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Offers of hydrogen supplies originating in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus shall be excluded from being
collected through the Hydrogen Mechanism to support the market development of hydrogen until 30 July 2027.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
Done at Brussels, 9 July 2026.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1551/oj 3/3