Brussels-based nucleareurope says state aid rules should back all decarbonised electricity sources
Brussels-based industry association nucleareurope has called for a pragmatic approach to reducing energy costs in the European Union while maintaining support for clean energy investment, including nuclear power.
In a position statement, the group said efforts to make energy more affordable should focus on near-term relief, security of supply and stable investment signals without reopening EU electricity market design legislation or the EU Emissions Trading System.
Nucleareurope said predictability in market rules and carbon pricing is essential to attract investment in clean power generation capacity. It warned that undermining the current framework could weaken Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
The association also called for reduced taxation on clean electricity sources and urged member states to avoid discriminatory tax policies against technologies that contribute to decarbonised electrification.
Referring to recent comments by Ursula von der Leyen, nucleareurope said both renewables and nuclear power help reduce electricity prices and should receive political and financial support under a technology-neutral approach in future EU policies and funding frameworks.
At the Antwerp EU summit in February, the European Commission president said Europe should use a time of projected gas price stability to invest in a low-carbon energy system, that “will protect us when fossil fuel prices go up again.”
The group also urged reforms to make power purchase agreements more suitable for nuclear projects, including recognition of longer-term contracts and improved access to risk-mitigation tools from EU and national financial institutions.
In addition, nucleareurope called for full support for lifetime extension of existing nuclear reactors, describing it as one of the lowest-cost sources of electricity. It said EU institutions should provide incentives, including European Investment Bank financing, to avoid premature reactor closures.
Nucleareurope said the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) should be amended to allow support for industries that commit to using 100% decarbonised electricity, not only on-site renewables. It argued that many energy-intensive sectors require constant access to large volumes of firm clean power alongside variable renewables to electrify and cut emissions.
In June 2025, the Commission adopted the CISAF, allowing member states to provide targeted support for clean energy deployment, industrial electrification and energy-intensive sectors. The framework replaced earlier temporary crisis measures and is designed to accelerate decarbonisation while protecting industrial competitiveness.
The EU has recently reformed its electricity market design to promote long-term contracts such as contracts for difference and power purchase agreements and continues to rely on the EU emissions trading system as the core carbon pricing instrument under its Fit for 55 climate package, targeting of at least a 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The European Commission’s 2025 nuclear illustrative programme (Pinc) estimates that Europe requires €241bn in nuclear investment by 2050 to meet net-zero targets. The Pinc report warned that without long-term operation of existing nuclear plants, the EU’s nuclear capacity would be close to nothing by 2050, making the energy transition significantly more difficult.
