Austria and Luxembourg blocked the adoption of a general approach on the Euratom programme at the Competitiveness Council on Friday 29 November. The reason: the Regulation on the Euratom programme to complement the Horizon Europe framework programme made the link between the use and deployment of nuclear energy to ensure a long-term transition to a climate-neutral economy (Article 3 and Recital 2).
“Austria and Luxembourg share the same position: nuclear energy is not a sustainable source of energy and therefore cannot contribute to climate protection objectives, from our point of view”, declared Iris Rauskala, the Austrian Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research, in a joint statement with her Luxembourg counterpart, Claude Meisch.
“We have a very difficult position and we have tried to put a lot of pressure on ourselves, but we have remained true to our own position and have therefore rejected the approval of this document today”, continued the Austrian minister, indicating the Member States with major interests in nuclear energy without calling them out by name (France) and the European Commission.
For Luxembourg and Austria, the choice of energy mix remains a national prerogative. In their view, European funds cannot finance such objectives in this way. On the other hand, they do not oppose nuclear research for health (such as cancer), for safety, to protect existing nuclear power plants and reactors, for the treatment of nuclear waste and, finally, for the dismantling of power plants.
The regulation is thus blocked, but this does not seem to surprise anyone in diplomatic circles: Luxembourg has been a Member State fiercely opposed to nuclear energy since 1980 and, since unanimity is required, it has been difficult to reach an agreement. Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU now intends to present a progress report.
The Regulation aims to ensure that the new Euratom programme continues the main research activities of the current programme (nuclear safety, security, safeguards, safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, decommissioning, radiation protection and fusion energy), but also to encourage the mobility of researchers in the nuclear field within the framework of the Marie Curie actions under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme. The proposal also aimed to ensure a better budgetary articulation of the Euratom programme with the multiannual financial framework. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)