Nuclear Energy: EU Parliament set to call for ban on Russian uranium

Brussels – Ban Russian uranium: If Europe wants to pursue nuclear power, it must rely on raw materials from other countries. The European Parliament is trying to put new, additional pressure on member states to finally choose the path of energy autonomy and independence within the EU Council by calling for a ban on Russian uranium, so far untouched by European sanctions and even by the roadmap to end oil and gas purchases from 2027, but not on “fuel” for nuclear reactors.

As early as next week’s plenary session, the House of Parliament is expected to vote on the report, which is marked for Monday, 7 July, which highlights the EU’s still excessive dependence on the Russian Federation. The text, for which the rapporteur is Conservative MEP Beata Szylo (ECR), points out that in 2023, 23.5% of the uranium consumed in the EU came from Russia, and Russia enriched 30.1% of the uranium used in the EU nuclear fleet. It is why the European Parliament “notes with concern that Russian nuclear fuel remains present on the EU market, including through indirect supply chains.”

Cresce l’Alleanza europea per il nucleare, anche l’Italia aderisce formalmente

In short, in the light of the ongoing situation, member states are reminded of “the need to diversify sources of uranium and nuclear fuel supply,” in the name of a twelve-star coherence to weaken Moscow economically and downsize its influence. However, this means navigating an international chessboard with contours that are anything but clear.

Among the world’s major uranium producers, Niger has suddenly become a less predictable and therefore less reliable interlocutor, and site of Sino-Russian actions contrary to European interests. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are located in a part of the world that historically and traditionally has been under Russian influence. The EU is attempting to open a new chapter in relations with Central Asian countries, but it is still to be built and tested. Moscow is unlikely to want to see an increase in European influence in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The European Parliament, however, is making the effort. It will demand a change of pace that has been lacking so far, also for practical reasons. Before closing the road to Russian uranium, new suppliers are needed that are currently unavailable; all the more reason to urge swift action.