The deputies repealed a 2003 law, during the Greens’ first term in federal government, which had called for a nuclear phase-out by 2025 and a ban on the construction of new nuclear production capacity. The outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022 reshuffled the situation, causing prices to soar with the reduced use of Russian fossil fuels.
Upon taking office three and a half months ago, the new government stated that it was counting on “a nuclear energy share of 4 gigawatts (GW),” which corresponds to the capacity of four reactors. The five-party coalition agreement states the intention, in the short term, to “extend existing capacity” but also, in the long term, to invest in new reactors.
Ecolo-Groen, the party behind the 2003 law, voted against it, denouncing it as a “publicity stunt” by Arizona. “There’s nothing on the table!” exclaimed former Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten. Rajae Maouane denounced it as “a PR stunt, just hot air… not even enough to power wind turbines.”
For Samuel Cogolati (Ecolo), it’s “a PR stunt that will change absolutely nothing in the lives of Belgians. Let’s be clear: not a single additional megawatt of electricity will be produced thanks to this law. Don’t be fooled by the Atomik Circus.”
For the co-president of the Ecolo party, the problem lies in what the MR and Les Engagés are not doing: “Still no National Energy and Climate Plan, even though Europe is waiting for one. They are abandoning subsidies for green hydrogen, even though it’s the future for heavy industry. And even in Wallonia, they are cutting insulation subsidies, even though the cheapest energy is the one we don’t consume. The real energy transition, in fact, has stalled.”
Concretely, the proposed law removes any nuclear phase-out date and provides for a possible ten-year extension. In order not to jeopardize the agreement negotiated with Engie, the exit schedule for Doel 4 and Tihange 3 remains unchanged at this stage, at December 31, 2037. The government will, however, have the option to modify this deadline at a later date. The text also gives the executive the option of extending all the units or proceeding with the construction of new ones. An impact study will then be required.
