France and the Netherlands have announced plans for long-term cooperation on nuclear energy, opening the door to joint efforts in developing new nuclear capacity, bolstering the European supply chain and advancing the industry in the Netherlands and across Europe.

Sophie Hermans, the Dutch second deputy prime minister and minister of climate and green growth, and Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French minister for ecological transition, energy and climate change, signed a declaration that they said signals a commitment to enhancing nuclear cooperation in Europe.

In a joint statement, France and the Netherlands said they are engaged in “a very fruitful bilateral dialogue” on ecological transition and both countries see nuclear power production as a means of achieving this. They said they intend to rely on the expertise of our respective industries as they bid to expand nuclear production capacity.