EU countries have reached an agreement on new nuclear safeguards, leading to a more stringent level of inspections on facilities and the use of nuclear materials. This decision comes despite calls from environmentalists to halt financing for atomic power. On June 19, EU countries approved changes to regulations governing the use and transit of nuclear materials, aiming to enhance safety as reliance on nuclear energy is expected to grow significantly in the coming decades. Three EU diplomats confirmed this development to Euronews.
Discussions centered around the extent of inspections at nuclear installations, the European Commission’s role as a regulatory body, and ensuring that nuclear materials are solely utilized for power generation within the bloc. Nuclear power has gained legal recognition in the EU as a low-carbon energy source aligned with the energy transition.
The push for nuclear power received further momentum following a pledge by global leaders, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden, at COP28 in November to expand nuclear power capacity by 2050. This commitment was accompanied by the EU executive’s expressed political will in Brussels to bolster the nuclear sector.
The revised legislation, proposed by the Commission in December 2023 under the Euratom Treaty, primarily targets operators of nuclear materials. It outlines the requirement for operators to submit risk avoidance declarations to the EU executive for verification. Operators will also be obligated to share information at the earliest stage of a nuclear facility’s lifecycle, following significant modifications, or during different stages of decommissioning, according to the updated law on Euratom safeguards.
“The operation of nuclear facilities with the highest guarantees of safety, accountability, and traceability, in strict compliance with international and European regulations, is a priority for us,” stated an EU diplomat, welcoming the inclusion of new provisions reflecting “technological advances made in the nuclear sector and digitisation since 2005”. However, a second diplomat expressed concerns that the new regulations would be “too cumbersome for operators to implement”. “We also want to guarantee that several nuclear materials are not diverted from their intended use, meaning peaceful uses,” the diplomat added.
A third EU diplomat asserted that no EU country had been “completely against” revisiting nuclear safety measures. Nevertheless, several countries expressed interest in evaluating the Commission’s inspection powers to ensure thorough assessments without jeopardizing the safety of neighboring nations.
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson emphasized the potential of nuclear energy, stating that renewable power, including atomic energy, is projected to account for over 90% of the EU’s electricity consumption by 2040. Simson made these remarks on the sidelines of the inaugural general assembly of the industrial alliance of small modular reactors, a developing nuclear technology deemed suitable by the EU to contribute to the bloc’s decarbonization efforts by 2030.
Meanwhile, environmental NGO Greenpeace criticized the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) role in financing nuclear power activities, stating that the bank has invested €845 million in nuclear power projects over the past 20 years. Ahead of the EIB’s strategic roadmap, scheduled for adoption on June 21, the environmental organization called upon the European bank “to oppose any funding for nuclear energy, including small modular reactors”, citing safety risks and concerns related to radioactive waste.
