Macron warns EU will not reach climate targets without nuclear power

The French president warned this Wednesday that the European Union’s (EU) climate goals cannot be met without nuclear power, criticizing the European bloc’s different measures in this area from those applied to renewables.

“What we want in Europe is pragmatism and technological neutrality,” Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference in Bratislava with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova in response to a question about France’s blockade of a draft European directive on renewable energy.

Macron stressed that the EU has set itself a “very ambitious goal” of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

“Not a single serious expert says that this goal can be achieved without nuclear energy,” the French President stressed.

For this reason, Macron demanded that “technological neutrality be introduced into the EU so that there is no bias” and that “the most integrated market possible” be achieved.

In France, about 70% of energy is generated by 46 nuclear reactors, the useful life of which the French President intends to increase to 50 or 60 years.

There will also be at least six more reactors of this type in the country, which should be commissioned between 2037 and 2050.

France has formed an alliance of pro-nuclear countries within the EU, which at the last meeting, held on May 16, brought together 16 member states.

Paris is blockading a nuclear directive for opposing the terms that are set for the use of nuclear-derived hydrogen to be different from green hydrogen, which critics say has more benefits.

In addition to France, this group also includes Spain, Austria and Luxembourg.