The European Parliament approved the start of negotiations for the reform of the electricity market with the EU Council, which’s activity is blocked due to disagreements on the financing of nuclear energy in the block.
The aim of the European electricity market reform is to better protect consumers against price fluctuations. According to the European Parliament, citizens should have the right to fixed price contracts as well as dynamic price contracts. Consumers should also receive more information about the options available. The basis of this position was a legislative proposal from the European Commission in March. In mid-July, the European Parliament’s Industry and Energy Committee modified the proposal by severely limiting subsidies for the nuclear industry. However, a number of MEPs opposed this move.
The protest was led by French MEPs, who believe that the text was too restrictive on nuclear plants’ access to government-guaranteed price mechanisms and risked jeopardizing the major overhaul of the French nuclear fleet. They were joined by MEPs from Slovenia, Romania and Czechia.
With the reform of the electricity market, the European Commission wants to avoid a surge in energy prices for consumers and promote the expansion of renewable energy. According to the proposal, long-term contracts for the production of electricity from renewable energy and nuclear energy must be promoted in particular.
