Nuclear is essential to Europe's energy autonomy, but the bloc must do further work to replace Russian fuel-cycle services such as enrichment and conversion before nuclear can play that role, European commissioner for energy and housing Dan Jorgensen told a conference in Brussels.

Speaking at the Brussels-based nuclear industry group nucleareurope’s 2026 conference on 1 June, Jorgensen said safety and security of supply were the “foundational blocks” of the sector, and that diversification was “a long-standing EU policy”.

Jorgensen described a mix of renewables and nuclear as central to Europe’s energy autonomy, saying it offered the chance to free the bloc from “the volatility of fossil fuels” and to secure “a level of autonomy never before experienced in Europe,” powering households and businesses with “homegrown and affordable energy”.

“To deliver on these goals, Europe needs nuclear,” he said.