A Swiss Senate committee has voted in favour of lifting the existing ban on licences for the construction of new nuclear power plants, parliamentary services said on 20 January.

Following the 10-2 vote by the environment, spatial planning and energy committee, the Senate expected to deal with the topic in the spring.

A technology-neutral energy policy should ensure sufficient domestic production capacities for “a secure and cost-effective power supply at all times”, a press release said. The possibility of building new nuclear power plants will “expand the room for manoeuvre for future energy supply”.