THE European Union has gathered a high-level group of experts to accelerate the development and use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for cars.

It will consist of representatives from car manufacturers, European research centres, fuel cell system and component producers, energy companies and utilities and public transport.

Philippe Busquin, EU research commissioner, said: 'Hydrogen marks a revolution in how energy can be produced and stored.

'Up until now in the 'fossil fuel civilisation', we been trying to strike a balance between the need to foster economic growth and at the same time to ensure this has a minimum impact on the environment.

'With an extensive use of hydrogen as an energy carrier, this conflict will be resolved. But member states and industry cannot bring about this revolution on their own: efforts are scattered, resources are dispersed and costs are extremely high. We need a major effort at EU level to streamline and make different initiatives converge in a consistent way.'

The EU said the group would 'help steer hydrogen research strategic priorities'. It will also recommend transition pathways that could stimulate sufficient market pull, to reach manufacturing economies of scale necessary for fuel cells to become cost-competitive.