Representatives from eleven EU member states, namely Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, met on Tuesday morning at the informal Council of Energy Ministers in Stockholm. They jointly reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen European cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

The objectives of the group are aligned with the Euratom Treaty, which was signed in 1957. It seeks to promote research and disseminate technical information, establish uniform safety standards in line with international best practice and strengthen industrial cooperation in the development of European nuclear capabilities.

#UPDATE Eleven EU member states vowed on Tuesday to "strengthen cooperation" on nuclear energy, which they said would help Europe move away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

📸 View of a nuclear power plant in Chinon, France pic.twitter.com/aAttlDJ788

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 28, 2023

Ministers agreed to foster closer cooperation between their national nuclear sectors to ensure the best cooperation across supply chains and to explore joint industrial projects and training programs to support new projects, including those based on innovative technologies, as well as the operation of existing plants.

They also discussed opportunities for increased scientific cooperation and coordinated deployment of best practices in the area of safety.

The office of Ecological Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said France’s aim was to “create a nuclear alliance.”