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Brussels – Due to disagreements on the financing of nuclear power, EU countries did not adopt a joint declaration at a ministerial meeting. A draft of the so-called Council conclusions called for reducing bureaucracy and better conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises, as reported by the Hungarian presidency.
However, two EU countries could not accept the text due to wording regarding the financing of nuclear power. According to dpa information, these are Germany and Austria. In a press release from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs after the meeting, it was stated that they advocated for wording that respects the energy sovereignty of member states, “but at the same time, EU funds should not flow into technologies that are not supported by all member states.” However, Germany generally supported the goals mentioned in the declaration.
Nuclear power a contentious issue in the EU for years
Hungary’s Minister of Economics Marton Nagy said that for years there has been no agreement on whether nuclear power should be classified as a clean technology or not. It also raised the question of whether EU funds should be used to promote this technology. In the end, a declaration known as the presidency conclusion was adopted without the approval of Germany and Austria. The exact text was not initially published.
Above all, France is a proponent of nuclear power. Germany’s neighbor sees it as a key technology for a CO2-free economy.
The topic of competitiveness is currently high on the priority list in the EU. Many politicians and business representatives fear that Europe will be economically overtaken by competitors from the USA and Asia. The automotive industry is particularly under pressure, but there is also bad news from other sectors such as the steel industry. The German Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that bureaucracy must be reduced, access to financing improved, and energy prices lowered. (November 29)