As the EU talks up a new generation of nuclear power and small modular reactors, it remains weighed down by an uncomfortable legacy: the costly and complex task of safely dismantling dozens of ageing nuclear facilities across the continent.
Hundreds of millions of euros are expected to be set aside for this work in the EU’s next long-term budget. This week, the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy committee (ITRE) backed the continuation of funding for nuclear safety programmes and the decommissioning of old reactors across the bloc.
Many of Europe’s older reactors are approaching the end of their operational lives and require decades-long dismantling processes to prevent risks to public health and the environment. Ensuring sufficient funding for these complex projects is therefore an important issue in upcoming discussions.
Soviet-designed reactors
The first report calls for stronger cooperation with international organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. It also calls for more transparency, and clearer arrangements for dealing with the European Commission’s long-term nuclear liabilities.
Additionally, it backs a new Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning (INSC-D). This is a €966mln fund proposed by the Commission to promote nuclear safety and support the dismantling of nuclear facilities both within the EU and in partner countries.
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The second report expressed the importance of sufficient funding for the decommissioning of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania. The plant, which housed Soviet-designed RBMK reactors similar to those used at Chernobyl, was shut down as part of Lithuania’s accession commitments to the European Union. Since then, the EU has provided financial assistance to support the lengthy and technically complex dismantling process.
Both reports serve as an opinion. Because the proposal is based on the Euratom Treaty, the European Parliament’s role is limited to consultation. The final decision will be taken unanimously by the Council, which is not legally bound by Parliament’s position.
Budget for nuclear
Nuclear energy is likely to become an important topic in the upcoming MFF negotiations. In a recent statement by the Elysee, many EU governments expressed their commitment to developing nuclear energy. The statement argued that the new MFF should support nuclear projects, “focusing on those that bring a European added value, in line with the EU’s industrial competitiveness policy, Net Zero Industry Act, and Clean Industrial Deal”.
Also the Commission is giving nuclear energy a prominent place in its energy and industrial policy. Earlier this year, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Europe’s retreat from nuclear energy had been a “strategic mistake”. She argued that nuclear power, alongside renewables, is needed to strengthen Europe’s energy security and support industrial competitiveness.
That position has since been reflected in new EU-level support for the sector. The Commission has put €200 million behind Small Modular Reactors (SMR’s) and committed a further €330 million through the Euratom research programme, presenting nuclear technology as part of the EU’s broader push for strategic autonomy.
