State aid for nuclear power: Hinkley Point C, United Kingdom

2.10.2014

Question for written answer E-007470-14
to the Commission
Rule 130
Dario Tamburrano (EFDD) , Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD) , David Borrelli (EFDD) , Ignazio Corrao (EFDD) , Marco Zullo (EFDD) , Marco Zanni (EFDD) , Daniela Aiuto (EFDD) , Marco Affronte (EFDD) , Eleonora Evi (EFDD) , Tiziana Beghin (EFDD) , Laura Agea (EFDD) , Rosa D'Amato (EFDD) , Michèle Rivasi (Verts/ALE) , Laura Ferrara (EFDD) , Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) , Marco Valli (EFDD)

Several press releases have recently referred to the Commission’s possible approval of the UK’s state aid plan for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.

Commission approval would:

• — contradict the Commission’s previous position[1] that the nuclear sector is not sufficiently technologically immature to need state aid;
• — contradict the EU Guidelines on state aid for environmental protection and energy 2014‐2020, Section 1.2 of which excludes nuclear power from the sectors which may be able to receive state aid compatible with the internal market under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; and
• — set a precedent for other Member States, thereby legitimising state aid for the nuclear sector, which would in turn push renewable energy producers out of the market.

In the light of the above, is the Commission’s decision on UK State aid to be interpreted as an indication of the direction in which the EU’s future energy strategy will develop?

• [1] See Commission Decision C(2013)9073 of 18 December 2013.