Nucleareurope Urges EU to Adopt Stable Rules, State Aid for Decarbonised Generation

Brussels-based industry association nucleareurope (the rebranded FORATOM) published a position statement on 3 March 2026 urging the European Union to adopt “stable, technology-neutral market rules that support investment in decarbonised generation, including nuclear power.” The move is aimed squarely at investors and grid planners who say unpredictability is delaying project finance and new firm capacity.

Nucleareurope took aim at the narrow interpretation of state aid under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework, asking that CISAF be amended so member states can “allow support for industries that commit to using 100% decarbonised electricity, not only on-site renewables.” The European Commission adopted CISAF in June 2025 to replace earlier temporary crisis measures and to allow targeted support for clean energy deployment, industrial electrification and energy-intensive sectors.

On the mechanics of policy, nucleareurope told Brussels policymakers that “state aid rules should back all decarbonised electricity sources,” a framing NucNet’s Kamen Kraev said in his 3 March 2026 coverage of the position. The industry group argued predictability in market rules and carbon pricing is “essential to attract investment in clean power generation capacity,” signaling that developers of nuclear projects and other firm resources expect clearer, long-lived rules before committing capital.

Nucleareurope also drew a clear red line on market reform. The association said efforts to make energy more affordable should “focus on near-term relief, security of supply and stable investment signals without reopening EU electricity market design legislation or the EU emissions trading system.” That language signals opposition to wholesale rework of EU market design or ETS settings at a time when CISAF is the operative state aid framework.

The association grounded its policy push in industrial needs, telling Brussels that “many energy-intensive sectors require constant access to large volumes of firm clean power alongside variable renewables to electrify and cut emissions.” NucNet’s coverage and nucleareurope’s statement together imply member states will need policy tools under CISAF or similar frameworks to pair industrial electrification plans with firm low-carbon generation contracts.

Missing from nucleareurope’s 3 March 2026 position are named spokespeople, draft amendment text for CISAF, and examples of industries or member states ready to use the proposed 100% decarbonised electricity support. Those gaps — noted in follow-up questions circulating among Brussels policy teams and industry analysts — leave the Commission and national governments with concrete decisions: whether to open CISAF for amendment, and if so, how to draft eligibility that covers grid-connected firm power as well as on-site renewables.