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EU 원자력 에너지 산업

A 2030 Framework for Climate and Energy Policies

Executive Summary

Today, nuclear energy generates electricity in 14 of the 27 Member States, and produces over one quarter of the EU’s electricity. During operation nuclear power plants do not release any significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They produce a reliable source of continuous supply of electricity because they operate at very high capacity levels. The cost of the electricity produced has shown itself to be stable and competitive and not heavily influenced by fuel prices. And uranium is a naturally occurring and relatively abundant global resource. Consequently, nuclear energy helps to reduce the quantity of carbon emissions emitted by the electricity sector, contributes significantly to security of supply and stimulates economic competitiveness thanks both to its reduced costs and to the important economic benefits that result from the required investments.

Nuclear energy, therefore, satisfies the triple objectives of the energy policy that the European Union (EU) has been promoting since the beginning of the 21st century, calling for the best possible compromise to be found in order to ensure the competitiveness of the EU’s economy, to maintain security of energy supply, and to promote environmental sustainability.

In a globalised economy Europe must remain competitive and cannot, therefore, sustainably continue to accumulate current wage and energy costs that rank among the highest in the world. Consequently, competitiveness is of capital importance. It is essential that the organisation of Europe’s energy markets (which in principle are deregulated, open and integrated), the measures taken to support public investment, R&D and innovation policies, climate protection measures, support for renewable energies and the choice of energy mix, reflect the shared objective of enhancing industrial competitiveness. The overall systemic costs associated with delivering energy to consumers ? such as those linked to production, transmission, distribution, storage, potential back-up and environmental impact ? must be taken into account.

Furthermore, increasing security of supply requires that dependence upon fossil fuels and/or imported technologies is reduced and that energy sources are more diversified ? particularly in light of important geopolitical considerations. In addition, the instability resulting from the intermittent nature of renewables must be mitigated and long-term investment, including in cross-border electricity transmission infrastructure and other high-cost projects, must be encouraged. It is also necessary to determine whether the model for the organisation of energy markets that Europe has favoured since the 1990s is capable of meeting such demands and whether it sends the right signal to investors.

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