Background

The 2014 Commission decision to authorize costly state aid to UK nuclear power plant Hinkley Point C could pave the way to a renaissance and spread of this dangerous technology in several Member States. At the end of the day, a scenario with a strengthened role for an outdated and expensive risk technology could emerge, significantly distorting the EU energy market. At a time of significant market turbulences in the atomic sector, ageing power plants with a high number of serious security incidents and an unresolved storage issue are characteristic of the EU’s nuclear fleet.

For these reasons 2016 eight European regions decided to join forces and the “Alliance of Regions for Phasing out Nuclear Power Across Europe” has seen the light of day to counter dangerous narratives of the pro-nuclear industry and to push for an Energy Union committed to energy efficiency and renewable energy. Therefore, they signed the Joint Declaration “In favour of a European energy transition without nuclear power”.

Structure and Activities

The Alliance can be joined by all regions, which share the objectives outlined in the Joint Declaration and has now grown to 16 regions from three EU member states, supported by Luxembourg and the “Cities for a nuclear free Europe” (CNFE) Network.

The core of the Alliance activities are the Annual Conferences. They provide a forum for discussion of current issues and result in coordinated activities and declarations, which highlight the Alliance position and demands.

The following regions founded the Alliance in 2016

  • Baden-Württemberg
  • German-speaking Community of Belgium
  • Lower Saxony
  • Northrhine-Westphalia
  • Upper Austria
  • Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Saarland
  • Thuringia

The following regions joined the Alliance

  • Burgenland
  • Carinthia
  • Lower Austria
  • Salzburg
  • Styria
  • Tyrol
  • Vienna / representing the Cities for Nuclear Free Europe (CNFE)
  • Vorarlberg

Supporting the Alliance

  • Luxembourg
  • Rebecca Harms / Member of the European Parliament
  • Dörte Fouquet / Partner Becker-Büttner-Held
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