The European ministers for the internal market and industry discussed the ‘Net-Zero Industry Act’ on Monday 22 May at the EU ‘Competitiveness’ Council. “The room was buzzing with a sense of urgency”, described the Swedish Minister for Energy and Industry, Ebba Busch, who chaired the meeting on behalf of the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council. One topic that has been particularly discussed is the inclusion of certain types of nuclear reactors in the list of ‘net-zero’ technologies in the text drawn up by the European Commission.
The Commission anticipated this debate and sent a note to Member States clarifying the difference between ‘net-zero’ technologies and the list of eight strategic ‘net-zero’ technologies. The latter should have more benefits, and they do not include nuclear.
To see the Commission’s note: https://aeur.eu/f/70c
Several countries such as France, but also Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic, have advocated for a broader inclusion of nuclear power.
“We are convinced that all technologies that can help this industrial transition should be integrated and we insist on the full integration of nuclear technologies” said the Bulgarian representative to the EU ‘Competitiveness’ Council.
Other delegations, such as Austria, Luxembourg and Germany, have indicated that they want to focus on 100% renewable technologies.
The EU Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, reminded ministers that the technologies chosen by the Commission were subject to a risk of outsourcing and asked them to keep this in mind. Her colleague for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, stressed that the text’s approach was technology-neutral. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)