STOCKHOLM: Eleven EU member states vowed on Tuesday to “strengthen cooperation” on nuclear energy, which they said would help Europe move away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia agreed “to support new projects” alongside existing nuclear plants, according to a statement released during a meeting of EU energy ministers in Stockholm.
“Nuclear energy is one of many tools for achieving our climate targets”, to produce electricity to meet consumer demand,” they said.
Ministers from the 11 countries also considered the opportunities for further scientific cooperation on nuclear energy and to share best practices to address safety issues.
France has spearheaded the effort to build closer European nuclear energy ties. Before the ministers’ meeting, the office of Ecological Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said France’s aim was to “create a nuclear alliance”.
Paris believes nuclear power can help the country and Europe achieve its climate objectives, especially to produce “green” hydrogen.
But the issue has divided Europe and several EU states are fiercely opposed, with Germany and Spain leading the criticism.
Austria, Germany and Luxembourg reaffirmed their opposition in Stockholm to the development of nuclear energy in Europe. — AFP
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