Polish ministers call on Europe to intensify development of nuclear energy

Poland’s Finance Minister Tadeusz Kościński and Climate Minister Michał Kurtyka, along with 11 other ministers of EU countries, appealed on the development of nuclear energy in Europe in a paper published by the daily Le Figaro and other European newspapers.

"It is necessary to include nuclear energy in the green taxonomy developed by the European Commission," argue the ministers of Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary, Finland and Romania.

“We have no choice but to diversify our sources of supply, being careful not to increase our energy imports from outside Europe. Decarbonising our economy requires immediate and profound changes to our production and our consumption patterns to emit less CO2,” the ministers wrote.

As they pointed out, such a rapid change translates into ”a massive electrification of our consumption and the development of low-carbon industries such as hydrogen, which in turn also require more electricity production.”

The authors enumerated various advantages of nuclear energy, among which were cost-efficiency, independence and innovativeness.

“For over 60 years, the European nuclear industry has proven its reliability and safety. It is one of the most regulated industries in the world, with 126 reactors operating in 14 European countries,” recalled the ministers.

The ministers highlighted the fact that the European nuclear industry was a leading industry in the world which “implements unique breakthrough technologies, and its further development could generate nearly a million highly qualified jobs in Europe.”

"The European treaties allow each Member State to define its own energy mix. It is imperative that our rights in this area are respected and that all low-carbon energy production technologies are treated fairly,” urge the signatories.

“We need nuclear energy to win the climate battle. It is crucial for ensuring the strategic and energy autonomy of Europe,” they concluded.