Nuclear Illustrative Programme

Key points

The EESC:

• believes that the role of nuclear energy plays and will continue to play a crucial role in decarbonising the European continent and consolidating its strategic autonomy in the fields of energy and technology;
• recommends that the same conditions should apply to investments in the nuclear energy sector as they do to renewables;
• recommends speeding up investment through specific financial and regulatory measures, such as a streamlined State aid process, access to EU cohesion funds, sustainable financing, licensing processes and faster decisions at EU and national level;
• considers that dialogue with civil society is pivotal in building trust, ownership and societal acceptance;
• calls for enhanced regulatory cooperation among Member States;
• recommends taking into account the role played by nuclear energy in stabilising the grid and calls for a calculation of systemic costs avoided thanks to nuclear energy to be added to the PINC.