The Nuclear Alliance met once again on Tuesday 7 November in Bratislava at the European Nuclear Energy Forum (see EUROPE 13287/12), at the instigation of France and Slovakia and in the presence of 13 other countries and the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson. The Alliance once again emphasised the strategic importance of nuclear power in decarbonisation, alongside renewable energies.
Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Sweden signed a joint communiqué at the end of the meeting. Italy and Belgium were present as observers, and the United Kingdom as a guest.
The signatories returned to the joint declaration of July 2023 (see EUROPE 13221/16), which they consider to be a first step in the European strategy on the use of nuclear energy.
They welcomed the European Commission’s announcement of a European alliance for small modular reactors (SMRs) (see EUROPE 13287/12) and emphasised the need to strengthen cohesion in order to identify common priorities in the run-up to the next European elections.
The ministers also expressed strong support for the Commission’s initiatives to accelerate the spread of decarbonised technologies, including nuclear, and called for measures to simplify and widen access to European funds and to develop a skilled nuclear workforce to ensure safety and security.
To see the press release, go to https://aeur.eu/f/9hb (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)