nucleareurope presents key policy trends at FSOK – newcleo event
On Friday 21 June, nucleareurope Legal and International Relations Director Berta Picamal Vicente participated in a panel discussion co-organised by Newcleo and the French Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia (FSOK) to present current European policy trends on nuclear.
In her intervention Berta highlighted the current positive developments in the EU, where nuclear is increasingly considered as part of the solution for decarbonisation. She insisted that in order to reach decarbonisation objectives, all nuclear technologies would be necessary, including existing nuclear power plants, nuclear new build, as well as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). Recent initiatives such as the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), in which nucleareurope plays an instrumental role, will act as key enablers for the development of nuclear in Europe.
“With the institutions being more receptive to the nuclear industry’s messages, and a renewal within the institutions taking place following the European Parliament elections, the time is right to again insist on the need for nuclear in the EU’s energy mix” said Berta, adding that the nuclear industry had outlined the key topics to be addressed by the next Commission in its manifesto released on 13 June.
These topics include the implementation of consistent and coherent policies by the institutions regarding nuclear, in terms of workforce and skills, nuclear financing and access to EU funds, as well as an understanding of the long-term vision needed by Member States.
Responding to a question on whether she thought of the energy sector as a national or European topic, Berta stressed that while we need to think as Europeans, it is important that we remember that it is the prerogative of Member States to decide on their own energy mix, provided it responds to the EU’s decarbonisation targets. She added that a European instrument already exists to support nuclear development – the Euratom treaty – which only needs to be correctly implemented.