EP votes for nuclear energy and gas to be considered “green” transition fuel

The European Parliament did not object to the Commission’s Taxonomy Delegated Act to include specific nuclear and gas energy activities, under certain conditions, in the list of environmentally sustainable economic activities covered by the so-called EU Taxonomy.

As the Commission believes there is a role for private investment in gas and nuclear activities in the green transition, it has proposed the classification of certain fossil gas and nuclear energy activities as transitional activities contributing to climate change mitigation. The inclusion of certain gas and nuclear activities is time-limited and dependent on specific conditions and transparency requirements.

278 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, 328 against and 33 abstained. An absolute majority of 353 MEPs was needed for Parliament to veto the Commission’s proposal.

Had the European Commission’s proposal failed to vote, investment projects in natural gas and nuclear power plants would not have been able to benefit from European funding.

If neither Parliament, nor Council object to the proposal by 11 July 2022, the Taxonomy Delegated Act will enter into force and apply as of 1 January 2023.

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, reacted after the vote in the European Parliament saying in a Twitter post that Romania’s constant efforts to consider gas and nuclear energy as part of the progressive decarbonization of the EU.

Welcome today's positive results in the European Parliament ?? on #Taxonomy. I am glad that ?? Romania's constant efforts on considering gas and nuclear as part of progressive decarbonisation were reflected in the EP's final decision.

— Klaus Iohannis (@KlausIohannis) July 6, 2022

Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca also reacted, hailing the decision.

I welcome the prospect of implementing the delegated act on taxonomy from 1 January 2023. Investments in gas and nuclear remain part of the green transition!

— Nicolae Ionel Ciuc? (@NicolaeCiuca) July 6, 2022

“It is a good decision, which does not contradict the European Union’s goal for 2050: zero greenhouse gas emissions. The unpredictable dynamics of the energy crisis we are going through force us to be responsible, to use all the resources we have at our disposal to ensure energy independence and security. I thank my colleagues in the European Parliament for understanding the importance of today’s vote, which will benefit our country! ”, Energy minister Virgil Popescu posted on Facebook.