Nuclear energy has once again returned to the center of a heated debate among European leaders, at a time when a new energy crisis is sweeping the world, leaving the import-dependent European Union racing to find alternative energy sources. The bloc still imports more than half of its energy needs, making it highly vulnerable to global market shocks, such as the unprecedented disruption to oil and gas supplies currently taking place in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. To keep the lights on and prevent large segments of Europes population from slipping into energy poverty, Europe may have little choice but to turn back to nuclear power.

The European Commission the executive arm of the European Union has introduced a number of new nuclear-related initiatives as part of its strategy to address the escalating crisis, marking a shift from Europes previous trajectory of moving away from nuclear energy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed this shift, saying at the nuclear energy summit held in Paris on March 10:

I believe it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable, and low-emission source of energy.

Nuclear energy has long been a controversial issue among European leaders. Most member states moved away from it, with Germany leading opposition to nuclear power. In contrast, France has remained one of the strongest advocates of this carbon-free energy source, generating around 65% of its electricity from nuclear power. However, even the most committed opponents have begun softening their stance in recent years, as momentum builds around nuclear energy as a dual-benefit solution that enhances energy security particularly Europes energy independence while also helping achieve climate goals.

This shift had already begun even before Europe sleepwalked into another energy crisis. Last year, the governments of Italy and Denmark made progress toward lifting decades-long bans on nuclear energy production, while Spain showed renewed openness to reconsidering plans to shut down its nuclear plants. Notably, Germany even agreed to drop its opposition to nuclear energy within EU legislation, in an unprecedented alignment with France on an issue that has historically been a major point of contention. A German official described the move as a radical policy shift that would help remove obstacles and improve efficiency in shaping EU energy policy.

We are now seeing some of the results of this shift, with the European Commission clearly embracing nuclear energy as part of its strategy to tackle the energy crisis. The emergence of small modular reactors is a major factor behind the regions changing stance and a central pillar of its nuclear strategy. This emerging technology promises to make nuclear power safer, more cost-effective, and easier to deploy at scale.

This month, a 330 million nuclear investment package was announced under the Euratom research and training program for 20262027, with strong support for small modular reactor technology.

The European Commission has announced plans to bring these reactors into operation as early as the early 2030s, with a goal of expanding capacity to between 17 gigawatts and 53 gigawatts by 2050. A recent Euronews report stated that the Commission has pledged to reduce bureaucracy by streamlining licensing procedures, along with providing financial guarantees to accelerate deployment, noting that 11 EU member states have already backed a joint declaration supporting the technology.

At the same time, Europe is increasing investment in nuclear fusion research and development. A significant 222 million from the Commissions nuclear research funding has been allocated to fusion energy, highlighting the blocs ambition to launch its first commercial fusion power plant. According to a report by EE News Europe, this funding underscores the EUs goal of achieving major progress in this field.

Notably, Germany is among the leading countries in the race to develop nuclear fusion which, unlike nuclear fission, does not produce radioactive waste and could be on track to become the first country in the world to successfully operate a viable commercial fusion reactor.