New Publication- EuZ – Zeitschrift für Europarecht

We are pleased to announce about a latest publication by Brigitta Kratz & Ilaria Espa on “Hydrogen: Legal and regulatory challenges for Switzerland in a global context” in EIZ Publishing supported by the Europa Institute at the University of Zurich (EIZ).

The article critically discusses the potential of Hydrogen as an energy carrier, but also as a key feedstock to produce renewable fuels (e.g. synthetic methane and methanol) and platform chemicals (e.g. ammonia) is set to play a major role in decarbonization efforts worldwide. The European Union is one of the main drivers of the green hydrogen economy. Once more, Switzerland is operating in a regulatory environment in which developments are already taking place and might determine its position as a rule-taker, as shown in the first part of the article. Switzerland can no longer postpone dealing with the opportunities and risks entailed by these developments. Defining a clear strategy is essential to plan the political and regulatory steps which are necessary to preserve its options for championing the green hydrogen market. The first steps have already been taken, in particular with the soon-to-come-into-force umbrella decree (“Mantelerlass”), as presented in the second part of the article. Further steps will have to follow.

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Dr. Brigitta Kratz, LL.M. is an attorney and partner at Badertscher Rechtsanwälte AG, Zurich, specializing in legal issues and dispute resolution in the field of energy law. From 2007–2018, she served as Vice President of the federal electricity market regulatory authority ElCom. Brigitta Kratz regularly lectures and publishes on energy law topics, including in the Yearbook of Swiss-EU Business Law published by the Europa Institute.

Prof. Dr. Ilaria Espa is Associate Professor of International Economic Law at the Law Institute of the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, and Senior Research Fellow at the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern. She is the Secretary of the Swiss Energy Law Association (SELA) and the co-convenor of the Interest Group on Energy and International Law of the European Society of International Law (ESIL). Since 2023, she has been involved as a work package leader in the SWEET-reFuel.ch, an inter- and transdisciplinary research consortium mandated by the Swiss government to develop robust and practical pathways for the introduction of sustainable fuels and platform chemicals in the Swiss energy system. Brigitta Kratz is on the Advisory Board of this project.

The link to the article is provided below:

EuZ-2024-08-Kratz-Digital-V1_03-20241003

SELA Annual Meeting 2024

SELA Annual Meeting – Save the date!

We are pleased to announce that the Annual Meeting of the Swiss Energy Law Association (SELA) will take place on Friday 20 September at the World Trade Institute, Bern (WTI).

This year’s SELA General Assembly will be followed by a high-level workshop on the topic of “The Hydrogen Revolution: Legal and Regulatory Challenges for Switzerland”.

The discussions will be open to the public and held in English, German and French.

If you are interested in attending, please register at ilaria.espa@usi.ch by September 16.

Download the full programme here

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