Piebalgs: nuclear ‘here to stay’

The Commission hopes that a new High Level Group on nuclear safety and waste management will create common EU standards and encourage investments in new plants while calming the concerns of member states that are opposed to nuclear power.

• An explosive issue

EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs told reporters during a 12 October press conference that the first meeting of the HLG was characterised by a “lively debate” between member states. 

Climate change and the quest for a low-carbon future has made nuclear a “more attractive option” for a number of member states, including Finland and France, Piebalgs acknowledged.

But some EU countries, such as Ireland, remain concerned about the risk of accidents or improper waste management.  

While acknowledging that nuclear energy is “clearly in the competence that lies with the member states”, Piebalgs said the Commission “felt the need” to create this group in order “to accelerate political decisions” in member states on whether or not to endorse nuclear energy.

Nuclear is “here to stay”, Piebalgs said, but it needs to be safe and governments need to “make up their minds as soon as possible” in order to create certainty for investors, he said.

• Nuclear versus renewables?

During a recent discussion with EURACTIV, Commission Director General for Energy and Transport Matthias Ruete said that in some member states, an increase in renewable energy use will simply compensate for a phasing-out of nuclear. 

Ruete also mentioned that the Commission is considering a renewables trading mechanism in order to achieve a 20% share of renewable energy use in the EU by 2020.

The Commission’s comments caused alarm in some member states, notably Germany, which fear that the Commission may push for more renewables trading while phasing out feed-in tariffs. Renewable energy and environmental groups are also opposed to the use of more nuclear energy as an option for reducing CO2 emissions.

Piebalgs responded to these concerns during the press conference, saying that nuclear and renewables are “separate issues” and that Commission is still looking at all options on the table. The Commission will push for more renewables “in the most cost-effective way”, he said. 

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