Formal approval of the EU's renewable energy directive has been delayed following a last-minute objection by Paris, which wants additional "guarantees" for low-carbon hydrogen derived from nuclear power. The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) was in the process of being formally approved on Wednesday (17 May) after EU countries and the European Parliament reached a tentative political agreement on 30 March. The agreement came after months of tense negotiations as France, backed by eastern EU countries, sought recognition for "low-carbon hydrogen" produced from nuclear power to be deducted from the bloc's renewable energy targets. This aspect of the agreement was enshrined in Article 22b of the Directive, which sets clean hydrogen targets for the decarbonisation of European industry. It took legal experts several weeks to finalize the text, and ambassadors from the EU's 27 member states planned to work on formally rubber-stamping it on Wednesday. According to Sweden, which holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU in the Council and is in charge of approval procedures, was this item removed from the program at the last minute. The Swedish presidency declined to comment on the reasons for the delay, but it appears there may not have been enough support to pass the law, with several diplomats contacted by EURACTIV blaming France. One EU diplomat accused Paris of "playing hardball" for concessions. "The law has become hostage to very narrow national interests," said the second diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. (Kira Taylor, Sean Goulding Carroll, Euractiv)