The European Commission has recently launched a Call for Evidence on the future Single Basic Act for Joint Undertakings, an initiative that will help shape the next generation of European Partnerships under the future Horizon Europe framework programme 2028–2034.

This consultation is a key opportunity for the clean hydrogen community to share evidence, experience and views on the role of Joint Undertakings in supporting Europe’s competitiveness, technological leadership and clean transition.

Joint Undertakings are unique instruments in the EU research and innovation landscape. They bring together the European Union, industry, research organisations, Member States and other stakeholders around shared strategic priorities, enabling long-term collaboration and mobilising investment, expertise and capabilities that no single actor could achieve alone.

For the clean hydrogen sector, this partnership model has played a central role in advancing research, innovation and deployment. Through its calls, projects and ecosystem-building activities, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership has supported the development of technologies, value chains and integrated hydrogen solutions across Europe, helping bridge the gap between research, demonstration and market uptake.

The Commission’s Call for Evidence seeks input on how future Joint Undertakings should be designed and implemented, including on issues such as strategic alignment, governance, openness, simplification, private investment, synergies, support for higher technology readiness levels and the full innovation-to-investment journey. The findings will contribute to the impact assessment for the Single Basic Act establishing Joint Undertakings under Framework Programme 10, expected for the fourth quarter of 2026.

We strongly encourage all stakeholders in the clean hydrogen community — including beneficiaries, industry partners, research organisations, SMEs, Hydrogen Valleys, public authorities, investors, associations and other interested actors — to take part in the consultation and submit their views. Deadline for feedback: 14 July.

A strong number of contributions from the clean hydrogen community will help demonstrate the value of the partnership model and provide the Commission with concrete evidence on what works, what can be improved, and what is needed to ensure that clean hydrogen research and innovation continues to support Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and decarbonisation objectives.

In our opinion:

  • The future framework should strengthen, not dilute, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership model. Clean hydrogen is a strategic technology for Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and decarbonisation, and it requires a dedicated EU-level partnership capable of connecting research, innovation, demonstration, deployment readiness and investment.
  • The Clean Hydrogen Partnership (and its predecessors) have created a strong European clean hydrogen ecosystem and should be further empowered in the next MFF to support the full innovation-to-investment journey.
  • For clean hydrogen, the relevant impacts include: technological progress (reaching hundreds of MW electrolysers in less than 10 years , while reducing ten times their costs), industrial competitiveness with more than 27% of SME participation, skills development (the first Hydrogen Academy in the world), regional innovation, including close to 100 Hydrogen Valleys across Europe, deployment readiness and building manufacturing capabilities while achieving the necessary emissions reduction, energy system integration and contribution to Europe’s strategic autonomy.
  • Clean hydrogen technologies and value chains require long-term confidence and stable EU-level support. Uncertainty around the future of the partnership model could weaken investment signals, reduce stakeholder engagement and slow progress towards deployment and industrialisation.
  • A strong future clean hydrogen partnership bringing together all private and public actors (European Commission, Member states and regions, Academia and Industry) would help ensure continuity, accelerate innovation, strengthen European leadership and support the transition from demonstration to market uptake.

To support stakeholders in preparing their contributions, the Clean Hydrogen Partnership has prepared a short guidance document containing arguments, data and key messages that may be used or adapted when submitting feedback.

Key messages at a glance

Theme Key message
Strategic alignment The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has evolved with and fed into EU priorities and policies, such as the Hydrogen Strategy, REPowerEU, the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Clean Industrial Deal and the Competitiveness Compass.
Innovation to deployment The Partnership supports the full innovation chain, with more than 60% of high-TRL demonstrations, Hydrogen Valleys, electrolysers, mobility applications and flagship projects that bring clean hydrogen solutions closer to the market.
Investment leverage The JU model mobilises substantial private and additional investment. Hydrogen Valleys show particularly strong leverage, with beneficiaries investing around EUR 3.94 for every EUR 1 of EU funding.
Synergies and knowledge The Partnership actively connects EU programmes (CEF, Horizon Europe, Innovation fund, EIC, including other JUs), national and regional authorities, international initiatives and knowledge platforms, maximizing impact for supporting evidence-based policy.
Openness The Clean Hydrogen Partnership operates through open, competitive calls and reaches well beyond its membership base, with more than 55 % of Horizon Europe funding benefitting non-members.

Stakeholders are encouraged to draw on this material, while also adding their own concrete examples, project experience and evidence!

Feedback can be submitted through the European Commission’s Have Your Say portal until 14 July 2026.

Contributions may be submitted either in an individual capacity or on behalf of an organisation. The future framework for Joint Undertakings is being shaped now. We invite the clean hydrogen community to make its voice heard.