(Reuters) – Germany on Friday rebuffed draft plans by the European Commission to allow European Union member states to directly subsidise nuclear power.
Several European governments, such as Britain and France, plan to build new nuclear power stations, but many companies are shying away from investing in the expensive technology without the safeguard of government support.
The Commission’s draft, seen by Reuters and titled “Paper of the Commission Services containing draft guidelines on environmental and energy aid for 2O14-2O20”, proposes to allow governments to provide direct state aid for nuclear power.
The paper says that aid may be compatible with EU rules and that “these guidelines apply to state aid for environmental protection, including CO2 capture, transport and storage (CCS), energy infrastructure, capacity mechanisms and nuclear energy”.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she opposed nuclear subsidies.
“Germany voted against (nuclear plants getting subsidies) and I support that,” Merkel told a news conference in Berlin, when asked about the draft.
Continue reading at Germany rebuffs European nuclear power subsidy proposal
