EU Commissioners: Nuclear Build, Research Must Increase

The European Union must build new nuclear plants to soften the impact of astronomical oil prices, said Andris Piebalgs, EU energy commissioner.

He explained that instability in the Middle East and the impact of hurricane Katrina helped push levels up from $45 a barrel at the start of the year to some $70 a barrel today, causing alarm for EU motorists as petrol prices shot up across the union.

But he warned that the EU must focus on combating the long-term problem of demand growth outracing supply, with Chinese consumption alone soaring by 65 percent in the past three years.

The European Commission plans to accelerate the implementation of energy-saving and renewable energy source directives in the coming months to help stem European demand for fossil fuels.

But he warned that new coal and nuclear energy plants might also have to be built to help deal with the global problem.

"I expect investments in the nuclear sector in Europe, and in the rest of the world, will grow", the commissioner said.

Elsewhere, EU Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik called on European countries to collaborate in the field of nuclear research.

Speaking at an international conference on 'nuclear energy for a new Europe' in his home country of Slovenia on 5 September, the Commissioner argued that satisfying Europe's demand for energy requires a comprehensive research effort focused on a broad range of energy technologies, including nuclear.

'Nuclear power provides approximately one-third of Europe's electricity and is by far the most significant source of [...] carbon-free generation available today. It makes a major contribution to limiting our greenhouse gas emissions and enhances both our independence and security of supply,' said Mr Potocnik.

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