V bulc speeches h2_fc workshop_inauguration

1. Speaking Points o Subject: TEN-T Days Riga – Joint H2 & Fuel Cell Workshop
o Meeting / Official visit / Event Inauguration WS incl. Handover Ceremony
Buyers' Declaration
o Date: 23 June 2015 at 14:30 (until 15:10max)
o Place: Omega 1 Room, Conference Centre, Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija, Riga, LV
Speaking Points
Part 1: Welcome speech to the Inauguration Session
• Dear Mr Usakovs, dear Coordinators, dear Chairmen,
CEOs, ladies and gentlemen.
• After many years of research and demonstration
projects in hydrogen and fuel cells, financial support
by the Commission and national funding schemes, we
are now starting the introduction of this innovative,
strategic technology into the European market.
• With this joint workshop we are together giving a
strong push to this important field of innovation and
new technologies towards the markets.
• The two large funding programmes Horizon2020 and
the Connecting Europe Facility are equal partners in
this innovation pipeline.
• The expectations of the Commission, my personal
expectations, are high – let's deliver with a joint effort.

2. • I am pleased to see that this is now very concretely
culminating today with the two declarations, which are
the two sides of the same medal: the declaration of
the innovative first buyers and the declaration by the
innovative producers. Both sides are key to a
successful market introduction.
• Finally, and most importantly, I am very happy that we
are able to demonstrate to our citizens and
businesses - through the exhibition in the presence of
journalists and TV - that this technology is ready now.
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3. Part 2: Signing Ceremony (still seated at podium, just before going
to signing desk with regional delegates, where handover takes place)
(speech text also included in cover note of signing act)
• Ladies and gentlemen,
• As a sign of support to further deploy larger numbers
of fuel cell hydrogen buses and to enable market
entry and commercialisation, a Letter of
Understanding has been signed by about 30 regional
entities.
• Deploying zero emission vehicles can minimize the
potential risk of costly adaptation due to expected
stricter decarbonizing regulation. Cities that
participate now will be prepared when regulation
enters into force.
• Capable to operate like conventional diesel buses,
fuel cell buses present similar advantages as electric
vehicles: they are zero-emission and quiet. In
addition, due to their low refuelling time, fuel cell
buses present an easy pathway to a transition from
current bus fleets to full zero emission urban
transport.
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4. • In order to achieve scale effects and price reductions,
more operators will need to deploy fuel cell buses
until 2020.
• But not only inside our cities also for the medium
distance to the next town and the long distance along
our TEN-T corridors we should use zero-emission
technologies, such as hydrogen and fuel cells.
• I am therefore very pleased that today, on 23 June
2015, during the TEN-T Days at the inauguration of
the Joint Workshop on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells we
make a significant step forward.
• I am honoured by the presence of a delegation of 5
representatives of regional entities in Germany, Italy,
Latvia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, who
together with all the other regional entities endorse
the commitment towards commercialization of
hydrogen and fuel cell buses.
Contact person:
Helmut Morsi
MOVE B.0
 50844
15 June 2015
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