Welcome to the European Parliamentary Research Service podcasts.

The debate on nuclear energy is back on the table, presenting both challenges and new

opportunities. But European countries are split about this, and discussions are likely to

continue as new laws on climate and energy are in the pipeline. Want to know more? Stay with us.

Nuclear or not nuclear? That's the key choice ahead, especially in the context of the EU's green

transition and the need to secure its energy independence. But whose choice is it?

Deciding which energy sources to use and whether to include nuclear in the mix is up to each member state.

However, there are common rules and standards set by the Eurotom Treaty and by more recent EU laws

to ensure the secure handling and disposal of nuclear materials.

The EU also guides and funds nuclear research activities and helps EU countries in decommissioning

old plants.

But how big is the nuclear sector in Europe?

Here are some figures.

The EU counts a total of 100 nuclear reactors operating in 12 of its 27 member states,

and half of them are in France.

The other 15 EU countries are nuclear-free, and Germany managed to shut down its remaining

power plants in April this year.

But this nuclear phase-out is not equally embraced across the EU.

Two new reactors are under construction in France and in Slovakia,

and other countries who were traditionally non-nuclear, like Poland, are advancing similar plans.

Now, according to Eurostat, in 2021, nuclear energy made up 13% of Europe's energy mix, and was the largest single source of electricity generation in the EU, accounting for 25% of all electricity produced.

Yet different countries rely on it to different degrees.

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