In her speech on March 24 in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen underlined the limitations of the European Union’s support for nuclear energy under the regulation on domestic production of clean technologies. A slap in the face for France, which on the contrary defends the integration of nuclear power in the Net Zero Industry Act. Even more worryingly, a detailed plan in a “working document” identifies “strategic zero-emission technologies” that will receive “special support” from the EU. Nuclear power is not mentioned once, although the sector is in dire need of funding, as evidenced by EDF’s current difficulties. And that France wants to launch an ambitious program to build new reactors.
Cars and energy, the two German victories
“It’s Germany 2 – France 0”, ironically familiar with the ongoing disagreements between the two greatest powers of the Twenty-Seven. Because at the same time, Berlin has just won a strange victory in another emblematic dossier of the ecological turnaround orchestrated by the European Commission. On March 7, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stunned his European partners to announce that Germany would ultimately not vote on the text banning heat engines from 2035, which had long been approved by all member states.
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The Commission finally gave in: “We have reached an agreement with Germany on the future use of synthetic fuels in cars,” said EU Environment Commissioner Frans Timmermans on Twitter on Saturday. Translated: In the extreme case, a compromise was found that benefits the car manufacturers across the Rhine (BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, etc.) compared to a total ban from 2035. “Vehicles with combustion engines can be registered after 2035 if they only drive CO2 neutral fuels,” said Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing.
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This option does not please environmental NGOs, who consider synthetic fuel technology to be expensive, energy-intensive and polluting. Not to mention that the development of electric vehicles will lead to a gradual drop in prices, which could reduce the attractiveness of cars using these synthetic fuels. With the possible exception of the top models, where the German manufacturers are currently the masters.
“France bowed to these delays while the national manufacturers were not ready at the time,” an industry expert complained. Today they are, Renault at the top, Germany can turn the agenda to their advantage. One might have thought that the German executive would show flexibility in the nuclear dossier in return. And it’s the other way around! Despite dogged efforts to persuade its key partner to moderate its all-out opposition to nuclear, Paris fails again. Hurry up. The deadline for the EU’s “Net Zero” plan, which is intended to react to the American “Green” plan of $400 billion in subsidies approved at the end of last year, is approaching.
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France has put together a coalition
“Nuclear energy can play a role in our decarbonization efforts, that’s important,” conceded the (German) Commission President on Thursday, the first day of the 27’s latest summit in Brussels. “But only the zero-emissions technologies that we consider strategic for the future – such as solar panels, batteries and electrolysers – have access to all the advantages and benefits,” added Ursula von der Leyen immediately.
For these “strategic” industries, total investment needs are expected to be around 92 billion euros from 2023 to 2030, with public financing needs of 16 to 18 billion euros, the commission said in a discussion paper published at the same time as the Clean Technology Regulations paper. “We have been fighting for more than four years to have nuclear energy, a producer of decarbonized energy, included in the clean energy nomenclature,” recalls a major French industrialist. Each time, Germany – which continues to invest in highly polluting coal – resists. By also gathering countries like Luxembourg or Austria to strengthen their position. »
Opposite France has brought together ten European partners in an alliance for nuclear energy. On February 28, these 11 EU member states (including the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic) signed a declaration in Stockholm to “jointly reaffirm their desire to strengthen European cooperation in the field of nuclear energy”. However, the target of European funding for the sector remains very uncertain.