EUABC A dictionary on words related to the EU

Nuclear power

: (Photo: These Tides)

The Euratom Treaty was signed at the same time as the Treaty of Rome, in 1957, and gives the EU the drafting policy for around 145 nuclear power stations in the EU Member States. This number may be increased by 23 after the accession of the applicant countries.

Notes

The choice of energy form is a national competence.
The EU Commission supports using more nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is subsidised through Euratom, although this is against the principles of the Internal market and fair competition.

The future

The Convention on the Future of Europe has proposed that Energy becomes a shared competence - EU law would therefore suppress member states' existing legislation and right to legislate in this area. (Art. I-13 in the EU Constitution). The Convention also proposed to annex the Euratom Treaty to the Constitution. Otherwise, the Euratom Treaty would fall in 2007.

As an alternative, the Democracy Forum has suggested that the Euratom Treaty might be included as 'enhanced cooperation' for the states who wish to keep it up.

Links

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/......learsafety.htm#New%20proposals