Nuclear, Italy enters the European alliance (and moves the balance in the EU): what does it mean?

From 16 June Italy will enter the European nuclear alliance, in which today he sits as an observerand officially siding between the countries of the European Union that focus on nuclear power as a source for the decarbonisation and the safety of the supply. The news was announced by the Minister of the Environment and Energy Safety, Gilberto Pichetto Fratinon June 7 at the Festival Planet 2030 organized by Courier And he was then relaunched by the deputy Luca Squeri, Energy Manager of Forza Italia and secretary of the Productive Activities Commission of the Chamber. Our country therefore comopie another formal step, After the delegation law approved by the Government in late February to restart a nuclear plan.

What is the European alliance for nuclear power?
It is an initiative launched by France – a country that has about fifty plants and which thanks to the atom produces about 70% of its energy – and established in 2023 to promote and strengthen the use of atomic energy as a source of decarbonisation. Paris managed to have the nuclear power add to the so -called green taxonomy of the European Union therefore authorized to receive investments and to be considered to zero emissions.

Which countries are part of it?
France, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and from the beginning of 2025 Belgium, after being also an observer country.

What does it mean to adhere to the alliance?
« For Italy – explains Stefano Monti, president of the Italian Nuclear Association and the European Nuclear Society – means being part of the group of EU countries that explicitly support and promote pro -nuclear policies for peaceful uses. The alliance is ministerial level and therefore expresses official positions of the governments that have joined it under the guidance of France. Implicitly our country began to have a nuclear program not only for research and experimentation but also for industrial development ».

What changes at European level?
« Italy’s entry – comments Stefano Monti – moves the balance in Europe because now the countries that are part of the nuclear alliance of governments have become 13 out of 27. There will be even more pressure on the European Commission to adopt decisions favorable to the construction of new nuclear plants in the EU and to extend the various financial instruments already used for the energy transition to nuclear instruments such as the financing of the Bei and the Novation Fund, the IPCEI ».

Who participates in the meeting of the alliance?
The alliance is government level and therefore the declarations are signed by the significant ministers of the various governments. For Italy it is the Mase with Gilberto Pichetto Fratin who, however, represents a unitary position of the government.

What did the alliance do so far?
« The alliance – Monti explains – has already published and sent several press releases to the European Commission. These are official declarations of the governments that adhere to the alliance. Therefore the European Commission is required to take this into account why they are political positions of the EU governments. The same alliance has also joined important international declarations such as that relating to the tripleing of nuclear power on the occasion of Cop28 and 29 « .

What will be the next steps of the alliance?
« The next few months – concludes Monti – will be very important to substantiate the European political will to support the competitiveness and decarbonisation of the Union. For example, it will be necessary to follow up in an operational way to the Clean Industrial Deal and the Pniec (national plans on energy and climate, editor’s note) of the various countries. Having a politically wider and stronger politically wider nuclear alliance will systematically include nuclear power in these tools. Specifically for nuclear power there is great expectation for the so -called « Pinc », or the Illustrative Program nuclear, which represents the document of the Commission that defines the strategy of the Union on current and future nuclear power. The Pinc will also have to indicate the necessary financial instruments ».