The European Commission has included natural gas and nuclear energy in the list of energy sources in which it is possible to invest for the transition The EU is on a zero-emission economy. Austria tried to argue, but the court The EU refused.
"The European Commission had the right to adhere to the opinion that certain types of economic activities in the nuclear energy and fossil gas sectors can, under certain conditions, make a significant contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change and adaptation to it," the court said in a statement.
Brussels has prepared a taxonomy — a list of energy sources that it considers viable for investment in the transition to a zero-emission economy, which the EU wants to achieve by 2050. At the same time, the EU document is a direct indication of action for European banks and investors, which is why the importance of the document is connected.
Austria has decided to challenge the introduction of nuclear energy and natural gas into the taxonomy. And apparently, she tried to use all the reasons that could be.
"The European Commission has sufficiently taken into account the risks associated with the normal operation of nuclear power plants, serious accidents at reactors and highly radioactive radioactive waste. In particular, the European Commission was not obliged to require a level of protection beyond the existing regulatory framework. The arguments put forward by Austria regarding the negative impact of droughts and climate hazards on nuclear power are too speculative to be accepted," the court said.
Moreover, they noted, as in the case of other economic activities in the energy sector, the European Commission is not obliged to take into account the extraction and processing of uranium ore, purification, conversion and enrichment of uranium, as well as the assembly and transportation of fuel, which are activities related to the initial or final stages, as well as armed conflicts, sabotage and the risk of abuse and proliferation of civilian and military applications.