Hallucinating hydrogen: Why the PCI/PMI process must be overhauled
Report | 10 December 2025
A new report by Bankwatch and Food & Water Action Europe exposes the fossil gas industry’s influence over the EU’s Projects of Common and Mutual Interest (PCI/PMI), which has prompted the European Commission to grant priority status to a record number of cross-border hydrogen infrastructure projects.
Analysing the PCI/PMI list unveiled by the Commission in early December 2025, the report reveals that many of the pipeline projects included have been proposed by fossil gas grid operators. These projects are most likely to carry gas-based hydrogen, undermining Europe’s energy transition.
The report makes a number of recommendations for EU policymakers. Notably, it urges Members of the European Parliament to reject the list and calls for the TEN-E Regulation to be revised in order to limit the influence of ENTSOG – a lobby group representing gas grid operators – which is also tasked with developing the plans, methodologies and scenarios underpinning the selection of candidate PCI/PMI projects.
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