As has been reported in previous EHA newsletters several new funding initiatives as a result of the financial crisis have been recently put in place that could offer additional funding to hydrogen and fuel cell activities. In order to interest authorities presiding over these funds to include H2 and FC projects in their funding schemes visibility of feasability of our technologies is crucial. Several high impact projects like the HyFleet CUTE project have offered this proof of concept to a broader public including local authorities. It is now up to the the first demonstration projects of the JTI to further broaden the scope of these demonstration projects and lift the bar to  include sites that are committed to integrate hydrogen applications in energy and transport systems and build the market. The EHA therfeore is keen to facilitate increased leveraging of funding at EU, national and local level and invited the European Investment Bank to its last General Assembly on June 17  to discuss new funding mechanisms for local authorities for energy effciency and sustainable transport.  In addition the EHA published a press release on the occasion of the EU Commission Transport Communciation stressing the need to include hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles next to battery cars to create  the Commission’s objective of a “an integrated, technology-led and user friendly system”.