FORATOM reacts to the “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package

On 18 April 2017, FORATOM, the Brussels-based trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe, published a Position Paper on the “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package. FORATOM welcomes the legislative proposals and considers that the package could ensure a coherent and optimal approach towards meeting the EU 2030 energy and climate objectives, provided it takes into account the views of the nuclear industry. FORATOM recalls that the goal of the EU to decarbonise the economy by more than 80% by 2050 cannot be achieved without nuclear power.

In its Position Paper on the legislative proposals, which aim to improve the functioning of the energy market and make sure that all energy technologies compete on a level-playing field without jeopardising climate and energy targets, FORATOM calls for cost-efficient decarbonisation, an effective power market leading to competitive and affordable electricity prices for the end consumers and the promotion of investments in low carbon technologies. FORATOM also underlines the importance of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and of protecting it from conflicting policy overlaps, in particular from the proposed new 30% energy efficiency binding target.

FORATOM focuses on formulating proposals related to the issues of governance, electricity market design, energy efficiency, innovation and energy prices & costs. On governance, FORATOM proposes that Member States should be asked to quantify carbon intensity and to explicitly account for the current and future contribution of nuclear power to the achievement of EU energy and climate goals. On market design, FORATOM calls for an EU framework enabling long-term, capital intensive low-carbon investments to be incentivised via market price signals. On energy efficiency, FORATOM would like to see an efficient approach to calculating primary energy consumption that does not jeopardise emissions reduction efforts. On innovation, FORATOM recommends the adoption of a strategy that maintains EU technological and industrial leadership in the nuclear sector. And finally, on energy prices and costs, FORATOM requests the Commission to revise its figures for nuclear energy in line with the comments FORATOM submitted in 2015.

The European nuclear industry is a strategic sector for the European economy with a turnover of €70bn per year supporting around 800.000 jobs. Nuclear energy is an indispensable contributor to the achievement of the EU’s energy and climate goals. Nuclear energy accounts for half of the low-CO₂ electricity currently generated in the EU. It provides reliable low-CO₂ baseload electricity and can provide the flexibility of dispatch required to balance the increasing share of intermittent energy sources, hence continuing to contribute to security of supply.

For further information, please read FORATOM’s Position Paper and previous press release on the “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package.