The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, admitted that the ongoing decades of withdrawal of the EU from atomic power was a "strategic mistake", stating that the Union must now rebuild this sector.
Speaking at the Paris atomic energy summit on Tuesday, von der Leyen noted that the share of atomic energy in EU electricity production fell from 1 3rd in 1990 to just 15% today.
"In retrospect, we see that turning Europe distant from a reliable and affordable origin of low-carbon energy was a strategical mistake" – she said.
Von der Leyen announced the creation of a warrant fund of €200 million ($230 million) to support tiny modular reactors (SMRs), whose operational implementation is planned for 2030.
"The atomic race continues" – she said, saying "Europe has everything it needs to lead".
Her remarks coincided with the escalation of the situation in the mediate East, due to the unprovoked attack by the US and Israel on Iran, leading to a fast increase in planet oil and gas prices.
At the same time, the EU is inactive struggling with the consequences of the decision to break the energy links with Russia after the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the controversial green energy policy.
In Germany, where the last 3 atomic power plants were closed in 2023, Chancellor Friedrich Merz besides condemned the decommissioning of the power plants, calling them ‘serious strategical error’, noting in January that Berlin is presently facing "most costly energy transition in the world".
A fresh analysis by JPMorgan showed that electricity prices for the manufacture in Germany are now 3 times higher than in the USA and China.
The Deloitte report, commissioned by the European chemical industry, besides showed that 83% of EU competitiveness indicators are standing inactive or deteriorating and the chemical sector itself has lost 20,000 jobs due to mill closures.
EU energy policy has repeatedly been criticised by both the EU and beyond.
erstwhile Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called Brussels climate targets for 2040 "European economy suicide", and Hungarian abroad Minister Peter Szijjarto warned that if the EU did not abolish sanctions against Russian energy, "This will hit the European economy highly hard".
Emissary of the Kremlin Kirił Dmitriew noted last week that "Western energy force on Russia has failed and has the other effect", adding that "The countries that have established energy cooperation with Russia have made a wise strategical choice".
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/news/634384-eu-nuclear-energy-blender/
