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Brussels-based industry group responds to leaked draft of European commission proposals Nuclear power has been “clearly recognised” as a technology which contributes to climate mitigation objectives and it should be treated in the European Union’s planned taxonomy rules on an equal footing with renewable energy sources, the Brussels-based nuclear industry association Foratom has said.

According to a leaked draft of the bloc’s taxonomy proposals, nuclear will be treated differently to renewables, as a transitional activity, Foratom said. Furthermore, “sunset clauses”, so-called because they have time limits, have been introduced for existing plants and new build projects. Foratom said in a statement on Tuesday: “We do not believe this is the right approach.”

The sunset clauses say that to be taxonomy compliant, nuclear new build projects must receive a construction permit by 2045. For lifetime extensions, the extension must be authorised by the member state by 2040.

Renewables do not have to meet any similar clauses, nor do they have to meet other rules applied to “transitional” nuclear. Those rules include that nuclear does not hamper the development and deployment of low-carbon alternatives and does not lead to a “lock-in” of carbon-intensive assets. Lock-in occurs when carbon intensive systems perpetuate, delay or prevent the transition to low-carbon alternatives.

Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Original article: nucnet.org/news/foratom-calls-for-nuclear-to-be-put-on-equal-footing-with-renewables-1-2-2022

European unions on 27 July reiterated calls for the European Commission (EC) to include nuclear power in its green goals. In a joint letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, 18 trade unions in the energy sector from 10 countries said nuclear energy must be included in a delegated act of the European taxonomy. The unions - from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Slovak Republic and Slovenia - called for "a dialogue with the purpose of nuclear energy to play its full potential and build an economically efficient and socially just carbon-free Europe by 2050".

Date: Friday, 30 July 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newseuropean-unions-call-again-for-nuclear-to-be-part-of-the-eu-taxonomy-8946044