The Council of the European Union has decided to add nuclear energy to the list of strategic technologies, equating it to renewable energy. Now member states that support the use of nuclear energy want nuclear energy to also be classified for EU subsidies.
Already in March the European Commission had proposed the so-called Net Zero Industry Regulation (NZIA), which aims to support technologies that contribute to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
While the European Parliament prepared a list of technologies that fall under the regulation, the Council of the European Union, which brings together ministers from the relevant sector, decided in favor of two separate lists, Euractiv reported.
Both lists cover technologies useful for achieving climate neutrality, which receive some support from the EU, but only technologies included in the list of strategic technologies are subject to simpler planning and procedural rules.
According to the plans, all administrative issues related to the introduction of strategic technologies should be resolved within 9-12 months of the request of the company wishing to use them. In this way, bureaucratic procedures regarding strategic technologies should be completed much faster than they currently are.
France and eight other EU member states – Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia – issued a joint statement underlining the importance of supporting and financing nuclear energy at EU level. ‘EU.
“Technological neutrality must also apply to financing,” said French Industry Minister Roland Lescure at the start of the ministerial meeting.
Although Germany has not prevented the addition of nuclear energy to the list of strategic technologies, Berlin does not want nuclear energy to receive financial support from the EU.
“EU funds must not be used for technologies that are not supported by all member states,” said green politician Sven Giegold, who represented the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate at the session.
He underlines that for this very reason the issue of financing is excluded from the NZIA regulation.
However, countries that support nuclear energy, led by France, hope that the European Investment Bank will finance nuclear energy in the future, but financial support is also expected from other funds that are still under discussion.
The European Commission, the European Parliament and representatives of the Member States will continue discussions on the NZIA as early as 13 December. Also under discussion will be Parliament’s proposal that 25% of revenues from the EU emissions trading scheme will go to support the technologies listed in the NZIA.
2023-12-08 14:05:00
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