This diplomatic clash centers on France’s push to fold nuclear-powered hydrogen into the European Union’s clean energy mix. Paris treats this as a top priority and argues there are no practical obstacles to hydrogen produced with electricity from nuclear reactors, now or in the future, while pressuring the European Commission and other member states to move forward. In the face of threats to derail the H2Med hydrogen corridor, a project vital for Spain as a future hydrogen producer and Germany as a major buyer, France leans on assertive leverage to advance its case.
At present, Emmanuel Macron’s government has secured several modest, partial wins but has yet to anchor them in a durable settlement. It is now opening another major front to push a renewable energy mandate for nuclear-powered hydrogen. Last month the European Commission proposed that some hydrogen produced using nuclear energy be labeled similarly to hydrogen produced from renewable sources, thereby backing France’s position as the EU’s leading nuclear power nation. Spain and several other countries have openly resisted this approach.
The Brussels plan, which still requires approval from the Twenty-Seven and the European Parliament, unfolds in two mandated legislative tracks intended to clarify how rules are interpreted. The Commission document, to be debated, aims to introduce regulatory details that would help promote hydrogen produced by nations with relatively low-emission electricity generation, with France included due to its heavy reliance on nuclear power in the grid.
Same war, another war
Paris’s next diplomatic objective is to secure permanent recognition of nuclear hydrogen as green energy within the next update of the Renewable Energy Directive. France is pushing to have pink hydrogen, produced with nuclear energy, counted for all purposes in renewable energy targets, a stance echoed by officials like Mark AB. The effort seeks to place low-carbon hydrogen on terms similar to those of green hydrogen in the future RED III revision, currently under discussion in Brussels and among member states.
In the context of the directive negotiations, France also signaled that it could derail the H2Med project if its demands are not met. According to sources connected to the negotiations and reported by the Prensa Ibérica group, this represents a clear tactic that frames the issue as a choice that favors France if nuclear-produced hydrogen is not treated the same as hydrogen from renewable sources. The aim is to create a major European hydrogen corridor that aligns with France’s interests in developing pink hydrogen under equal conditions as green hydrogen, especially if Paris cannot advance nuclear hydrogen on its own terms elsewhere in Europe.
France has already signaled its intent to move forward with H2Med, noting that the European Commission’s labeling decisions on different hydrogen types are not yet finalized and that the corridor could extend beyond transporting hydrogen in both directions, not just from Spain to France. Pressure is rising to shape the terms of the next European renewable energy directive. Another official involved in the talks described the situation as distinct battles within a broader conflict.
Spain, France, and Portugal have agreed to promote Europe’s first major hydrogen corridor, later joined by Germany in support of the initiative. H2Med is a sprawling project with an estimated investment of around 2.5 billion euros, aiming to accelerate the shift away from natural gas in sectors where electrification is challenging. Paris views the project as a strategic tool to help Spain realize its goal of becoming an international hydrogen hub, leveraging it to advance France’s nuclear hydrogen agenda.
Green investments
France and eight other member states—Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic—have formed a bloc pushing for a future directive that would allow counting all low-carbon hydrogen produced from both renewable energy and nuclear power toward national renewable targets. Spain, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council later this year, along with the United States and Germany, has expressed skepticism about equating renewable hydrogen with hydrogen produced from nuclear energy. The general preference remains to focus on hydrogen generated from renewables like solar and wind. Each country may produce hydrogen with its own electricity mix, but many argue that green hydrogen should not be equated with other non-renewable hydrogen types. The overarching goal is to cut emissions by 55 percent within seven years and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Behind these debates lies a broader question: which energy sources receive investment and under what conditions now and in the future. Spain and Germany fear that if nuclear hydrogen is permanently labeled as clean energy, investors might favor it over renewable sources, potentially slowing the transition to wind, solar, and other clean technologies.
France insists that pink hydrogen and green hydrogen should be treated on equal footing as part of a broader strategy to sustain nuclear power in Europe. The French ambassador to the EU has argued that nuclear power can contribute to low-carbon, affordable energy, and noted that the dialogue with Germany acknowledged nuclear’s role in France. When more electricity and gas interconnections exist, questions arise about whether molecules from nuclear or renewable sources should be checked at the border. The European Commission has not yet provided a public response regarding France’s RED III proposals, stating that negotiations are ongoing and Brussels cannot finalize evaluation until talks conclude. It is also noted that nuclear power is not currently defined as renewable energy under the proposed directive. The commission has outlined a draft definition of low-carbon hydrogen that does not require renewable origin but would achieve substantial emissions reductions; the final method for calculating these savings may be set by law in late 2024, pending legislative action.