The aim of Prodi’s program is to draft a blueprint that would smooth the transition from fossil fuel-based to hydrogen-based fuel economy.

The program builds on the work of the EC’s The High-Level Group on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells during the first half of 2003. The 2003 EU-US Summit held in June put hydrogen high on the agenda. In a joint statement, President Bush and Prodi committed to collaborating on a global scale to accelerate the development of hydrogen energy.

Europe’s dependence on imported oil is today 50 percent, a figure that—if nothing is done to encourage alternative energies like hydrogen—will rise to 70 percent within the next 20 to 30 years. At present, fully 90 percent of energy needed for transport comes from oil.