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Paris plots response to von der Leyen’s ‘unfortunate’ comments on nuclear

(EurActiv, 28 Mar 2023) The office of French Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher slammed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent comments about nuclear not being “strategic” for EU decarbonisation and is planning a counter-offensive at the EU energy ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday (28 March).

Nuclear power, whether existing or in development, is not mentioned in the list of “strategic” technologies listed in the European Commission’s Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), presented on 16 March.

Ahead of an EU summit last week, the French President’s office called for clarity on the matter, urging member states to decide “once and for all” whether nuclear power is an asset for the bloc’s decarbonisation or not.

Von der Leyen responded after the first day of the summit, saying: “only the net-zero technologies that we deem strategic for the future – like solar panels, batteries and electrolysers, for example – have access to the full advantages and benefits” – which is not the case for nuclear power.

These comments only stoked further tensions with Paris.

EU not ‘consistent’ on tech neutrality

At a press conference after the EU summit on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron reminded the EU’s legally-binding objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

“Obviously, there are renewable energies and France is investing massively in their deployment,” the French President said. However, “we know that renewable energies cannot be enough and that nuclear energy is a necessary part of the answer at the European level,” he added.

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EurActiv, 28 Mar 2023: Paris plots response to von der Leyen’s ‘unfortunate’ comments on nuclear