Text · Report parliamentary committee draft
On the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning for the period 2028-2034 and repealing Regulations (Euratom) 2021/100 and (Euratom) 2021/948
Full title
On the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning for the period 2028-2034 and repealing Regulations (Euratom) 2021/100 and (Euratom) 2021/948
Document ITRE-PR-785228 · COM(2025)0598 – C100262/2025 – 2025/0265(CNS)
- Kind
- Report parliamentary committee draft ITRE-PR-785228
- Date
- 16 March 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
- Rapporteur
- Sophie Wilmès
- Dossier
- 2025/0265(CNS)
More facts (3)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Subject matter
- NUCL
- Reference
- COM(2025)0598 – C100262/2025 – 2025/0265(CNS)
In short
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The rapporteur's draft report approves the Commission proposal for a Council regulation setting up the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning for 2028-2034, which merges the current Euratom nuclear safety and decommissioning instruments into one with an external and an internal component. The external component supports nuclear safety, radiation protection, radioactive waste and spent fuel management, decommissioning and nuclear safeguards in partner countries; the internal component covers decommissioning of the Commission's nuclear installations at Joint Research Centre sites and management of the associated waste. The draft amendments promote international conventions and IAEA-assisted peer reviews, require the Commission to inform Parliament and cooperating third countries to inform the public, and require coordination with the IAEA and the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency. They add a safeguard that funded actions must not go against the interest and competitiveness of the Union, and task the Commission and the Joint Research Centre with developing innovative legal and financial instruments for the long-term uncertainties of waste management. They also require annual evaluation of partner countries' commitment to the relevant conventions, with a decision on continuing cooperation, and give the committee for the external component a role in assessing compliance with the Instrument's general objectives.
Position. The rapporteur supports the objectives of both components of the proposed Instrument and proposes amendments to strengthen promotion of international conventions and IAEA-assisted peer reviews, transparency and public information, coordination with international organisations, a safeguard on European interest in funding decisions, innovative financial instruments for nuclear liabilities, and coherence and governance.
Key points
- Parliament approves the Commission proposal as amended and calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly.
- A new recital states that the external component should promote international cooperation based on nuclear safety and radioactive waste conventions, encourage partner countries to join them, and allow IAEA-assisted periodic peer reviews of their national systems.
- A new recital states that the Commission should regularly inform Parliament about activities implemented under the regulation.
- Recital 27 is amended so that activities in emerging fields, such as small and modular reactors and new radiological medical applications, take account of the Union's interest and competitiveness to prevent Union funds from supporting licensing of non-European technologies.
- Recital 32 and a new Article 3a require coherence, synergies and complementarity with other Union external action programmes, relevant Union policies and legislative acts, and the Euratom research and training programme.
- Recital 34 and Article 2 are amended to require the Commission and the Joint Research Centre to develop and propose innovative legal and financial instruments for the long-term uncertainties of waste management, and to make this an activity eligible for internal funding.
- Article 2 is amended so that any transfer of nuclear liabilities to a host Member State is voluntary, subject to a bilateral agreement, with all decommissioning and waste storage costs paid by the Community, and negotiations concluded within two years of entry into force.
- A new Article 6a requires the Commission to make information on supported nuclear safety measures available to Parliament, and cooperating third countries to make such information and nuclear safety standards available to the public, especially local authorities, populations, workers and stakeholders near nuclear installations.
- A new Article 10a requires the Commission to coordinate with third countries and international organisations, in particular the IAEA and the OECD through the Nuclear Energy Agency, to avoid duplication, and to involve member state authorities and European operators.
- Article 12 is amended so that partner countries' commitment to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention is evaluated annually, with a decision on continuing cooperation, and flexibility shown in an emergency.
- A new Article 12(8a) states that financed actions do not go against the interest and competitiveness of the Union.
- Article 17 is amended so that the committee for the external component assesses compliance with the Instrument's general objectives and takes account of the Union's geostrategic priorities and interests.
Who is affected
- Partner countries cooperating on nuclear safety: must be parties to the relevant conventions or show firm commitment to accede, and ensure public information.
- Host member states of Joint Research Centre nuclear installations: may agree a voluntary transfer of nuclear liabilities, with costs paid by the Community.
- The Commission and the Joint Research Centre: must develop innovative legal and financial instruments for long-term waste management uncertainties.
- The European Parliament: must be regularly informed by the Commission and receive information on supported nuclear safety measures.
- The IAEA and the OECD through the Nuclear Energy Agency: the Commission must coordinate with them to avoid duplication of actions and funding.
Figures and deadlines
- 2028-2034: period of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning.
- two years from the date of entry into force of the regulation: deadline for concluding negotiations between the Commission and a host Member State on transfer of nuclear liabilities.
- several decades: timescale of the long-term uncertainties associated with waste management that the innovative legal and financial instruments should address.
Legal basis. Article 203 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community.
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Jump to an amendment (14)
Draft european parliament legislative resolution
–having regard to Article 203 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C100262/2025),
2.Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, in accordance with Article 293(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
3.Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;
4.Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the Commission proposal;
5.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (6a) The Instrument's external component should also promote international cooperation based on conventions on nuclear safety and radioactive waste management, encouraging partner countries to become parties to those conventions and allowing for IAEA-assisted periodic peer reviews of their national systems by well-respected international nuclear energy agencies. These peer reviews provide an external assessment of the state-of-play and challenges in nuclear safety in third countries, thereby informing the programming and prioritisation of high-level Union support. |
IAEA-assisted peer reviews can be a useful tool to guide the programming and prioritization of Union support through the external component of this instrument.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (19a) The European Parliament should be informed regularly by the Commission about the activities implemented under this Regulation. |
It is useful for the sake of transparency and interinstitutional cooperation that the European Parliament is regularly informed.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (27) Considering that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy continue to develop, the Instrument should be fit to carry out activities in emerging fields related to nuclear safety and emergency preparedness and response, for instance by contributing to the safety of small and modular reactors and radiological protection in new radiological medical applications. | (27) Considering that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy continue to develop, the Instrument should be fit to carry out activities in emerging fields related to nuclear safety and emergency preparedness and response, for instance by contributing to the safety of small and modular reactors and radiological protection in new radiological medical applications. When carrying out such activities, the interest of the Union and its competitiveness should be taken into account to prevent Union funds from supporting the licensing process of non-European technologies. |
By adding the possibility of carrying out activities in emerging fields, a risk exists of using the EU budget for financing the licensing process of non-European new technologies, such as Small and Advanced Modular Reactors. This risk should be mitigated by including a "European interest" criterion in the funding decisions.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (32) The most efficient use of available resources can be achieved through coherence and complementarity between the Union’s external financing instruments, as well as through the creation of synergies with other Union policies and programmes. In order to maximise the impact of combined interventions to achieve a common objective, this Regulation should allow for the combination of funding with other Community and Union programmes, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. | (32) The most efficient use of available resources can be achieved through coherence and complementarity between the Union’s external financing instruments, as well as through the creation of synergies with other Union policies and programmes such as the Euratom research and training programme. In order to maximise the impact of combined interventions to achieve a common objective, this Regulation should allow for the combination of funding with other Community and Union programmes, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. |
The Euratom Research and Training programme being the main programme applicable for nuclear research, it seems useful to specifically mention it in the recital.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (34) The Commission has concluded that the best option to satisfy requirements stemming from Article 5(1), point (f), and Article 7 of Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom is to pursue a strategy combining decommissioning and radioactive waste management activities while initiating the discussions between the JRC and host Member States regarding a potential transfer of the decommissioning and spent fuel and radioactive waste management liabilities in the case of mutual agreements between the Commission and the host Member States. The JRC should provide for and maintain adequate resources to fulfil its obligations with respect to decommissioning and the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management. | (34) The Commission has concluded that the best option to satisfy requirements stemming from Article 5(1), point (f), and Article 7 of Council Directive 2011/70/Euratom is to pursue a strategy combining decommissioning and radioactive waste management activities while initiating the discussions between the JRC and host Member States regarding a potential transfer of the decommissioning and spent fuel and radioactive waste management liabilities in the case of mutual agreements between the Commission and the host Member States. The JRC should provide for and maintain adequate resources to fulfil its obligations with respect to decommissioning and the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management. At the same time, the Commission and the JRC should proactively develop and propose innovative legal and financial instruments capable of addressing the long-term uncertainties associated with waste management, with a timescale of several decades, to the host Member States. |
Transferring liability of nuclear waste is a very complex process that requires innovative financial instruments that have not been developed yet by the JRC. Developing such instruments would help reassure host Member States and facilitate future transfer agreements.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) to support the decommissioning plan and to carry out the activities in accordance with the national law of the host Member State for the dismantling and decontamination of the Commission’s nuclear installations at the JRC sites, to carry out the safe management of associated radioactive waste and, where appropriate, to prepare the optional transfer of the related nuclear liabilities from the JRC to the host Member State; | (a) to support the decommissioning plan and to carry out the activities in accordance with the national law of the host Member State for the dismantling and decontamination of the Commission’s nuclear installations at the JRC sites, to carry out the safe management of associated radioactive waste and, where appropriate, to prepare the optional transfer of the related nuclear liabilities from the JRC to the host Member State, including by developing and proposing innovative legal and financial instruments capable of addressing the long-term uncertainties associated with waste management, with a timescale of several decades, to the host Member States; |
Transferring liability of nuclear waste is a very complex process that requires innovative financial instruments that have not been developed yet by the JRC. Developing such instruments would help reassure host Member States and facilitate future transfer agreements.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| The transfer referred to in the first subparagraph, point (a), shall be voluntary for any host Member State and subject to a bilateral agreement concluded between the Commission and the host Member State. That bilateral agreement shall stipulate that all costs of the decommissioning of the Commission’s nuclear installations at the JRC sites and storage of the associated radioactive waste are to be paid by the Community and shall fully comply with Directive 2011/70/Euratom. The nnegotiation between the Commission and the host Member State shall be concluded within two years from the date of entry into force of this Regulation. | The transfer referred to in the first subparagraph, point (a), shall be voluntary for any host Member State and subject to a bilateral agreement concluded between the Commission and the host Member State. That bilateral agreement shall stipulate that all costs of the decommissioning of the Commission’s nuclear installations at the JRC sites and storage of the associated radioactive waste are to be paid by the Community and shall fully comply with Directive 2011/70/Euratom. The negotiation between the Commission and the host Member State shall be concluded within two years from the date of entry into force of this Regulation. With a view to concluding such agreements, the Commission and the JRC should develop and propose innovative legal and financial instruments capable of addressing the long-term uncertainties associated with waste management, with a timescale of several decades, to the host Member States. |
Transferring liability of nuclear waste is a very complex process that requires innovative financial instruments that have not been developed yet by the JRC. Developing such instruments would help reassure host Member States and facilitate future transfer agreements.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 3a | |
| Consistency, synergies and complementarity | |
| In implementing this Regulation, consistency, synergies and complementarity with other Programmes of Union external action, other relevant Union policies and legislative acts such as the Directives 2009/71/Euratom, 2011/70/Euratom and 2013/59/Euratom, Union goals and values and Programmes such as the Euratom research and training programme, as well as policy coherence for development shall be ensured. |
Synergies with other Union policies are essential and need to be emphasised. The Euratom Research and Training programme being the main programme applicable for nuclear research, it seems useful to specifically mention it in the recital.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 6a | |
| The Commission shall ensure that relevant information on nuclear safety measures supported by the Instrument is made available to the European Parliament. | |
| Third countries cooperating under this Instrument shall ensure that relevant information on nuclear safety measures supported by the Instrument, as well as on nuclear safety standards more generally, is made available to the public, with particular attention to local authorities, populations, workers and stakeholders near nuclear installations. This includes ensuring that competent regulatory authorities and licence holders provide information within their respective responsibilities, in line with applicable legislation and international instruments, without prejudice to overriding interests such as security. |
It is crucial to ensure transparency of the actions of the Commission and third countries under this Instrument for the sake of nuclear safety transparency and public trust.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article10a | |
| Coordination with third countries and international organisations | |
| The Commission shall coordinate its cooperation with third countries and with international organisations pursuing similar objectives, in particular the IAEA and the OECD through the Nuclear Energy Agency. This coordination will enable the Community and the organisations concerned to avoid any duplication of actions and funding in relation to third countries. The Commission shall also involve the competent authorities of Member States and European operators in the fulfilment of its task. |
Coordination with international organisations such as the IAEA and the OECD through the Nuclear Energy Agency is essential to avoid duplication of actions and funding and to ensure coherence with international standards. Involving the competent authorities of Member States and European operators further enhances the effectiveness, credibility and impact of Union support by drawing on existing expertise and experience.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Partner countries seeking to cooperate with the Community on nuclear safety, shall be active parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management or other relevant conventions or have taken steps demonstrating a firm commitment to accede to such conventions. | 4. Partner countries seeking to cooperate with the Community on nuclear safety, shall be active parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management or other relevant conventions or have taken steps demonstrating a firm commitment to accede to such conventions. In the case of active co-operation, that commitment shall be evaluated annually taking into account National Reports and other documents on the implementation of relevant Conventions. On the basis of such an evaluation, a decision shall be taken with regard to the continuation of the cooperation. In an emergency, flexibility shall, on an exceptional basis, be shown in the application of those principles. |
It is necessary to evaluate the commitments made by partner countries and to condition the continuation of this cooperation to ensure that these commitments are effectively respected and implemented.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8a. The actions financed do not go against the interest of the Union and its competitiveness. |
By adding the possibility of carrying out activities in emerging fields, a risk exists of using the EU budget for financing the licensing process of non-European new technologies, such as Small and Advanced Modular Reactors. This risk should be mitigated by including a "European interest" criterion in the funding decisions.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (ia) The development of innovative legal and financial instruments capable of addressing the long-term uncertainties associated with waste management, with a timescale of several decades. |
Transferring liability of nuclear waste is a very complex process that requires innovative financial instruments that have not been developed yet by the JRC. Developing such instruments should be an activity eligible for funding by the internal part of the instrument.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee for the Instrument’s external component. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. | 1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee for the Instrument’s external component. The committee's scope shall include the assessment of compliance with the Instrument's general objectives as set out in Article 2(1) and (2). It should take into account the Union's geostrategic priorities and interests in reference to Articles 7 and 12( 8 a). That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. |
As the Commission will get increased budgetary flexibility from the merger of the two distinct instruments into one instrument with two components, stronger governance is needed. The committee should thereby be enabled to oversee compliance with the general objectives of the Instrument. It should also include in its work the geostrategic priorities and interests of the Union.
Back matter, 2
Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.
Explanatory statement 10 blocks
The proposal establishes the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning (INSC-D) for the period 2028-2034, replacing the current Euratom instruments in the field of nuclear safety cooperation and decommissioning and merging them into one instrument with an external and an internal component.
The external component of the Instrument aims to strengthen nuclear safety, radiation protection, the safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, decommissioning and the application of efficient and effective safeguards of nuclear materials in partner countries.
The internal component supports the decommissioning of the Commission’s nuclear installations at the Joint Research Centre sites, in line with the needs identified in the respective decommissioning plans and to safely manage the associated spent fuel, nuclear material and radioactive waste. In addition, the internal component of the Instrument shall support knowledge deriving from the nuclear decommissioning process and the management of the resulting radioactive waste that will be shared with the Community’s stakeholders.
The rapporteur strongly supports the objectives of both components of the proposed Instrument as guaranteeing a high level of nuclear safety within and outside the European Union is essential for the safety of our citizens and for ensuring confidence and trust in civil nuclear technologies.
The amendments tabled by the rapporteur first seek to clarify and strengthen the promotion of international conventions through the external component of the instrument. They encourage partner countries to accede to these conventions and support IAEA-assisted peer reviews as an objective tool to assess national nuclear safety frameworks and to inform Union programming and prioritisation.
Several amendments reinforce transparency and public information requirements. They include an obligation for the Commission to make relevant information on nuclear safety measures supported by the Instrument available to the European Parliament. Cooperating third countries shall ensure transparency towards the public, with particular attention to local authorities, workers and populations living in the vicinity of nuclear installations. These provisions aim to enhance public trust and accountability, without prejudice to overriding interests such as security.
The amendments also emphasise the need for coordination with international organisations pursuing similar objectives, in particular the International Atomic Energy Agency and the OECD through the Nuclear Energy Agency, to avoid duplication of actions and funding and to ensure coherence with international standards. The involvement of competent authorities of Member States and European operators is also highlighted to improve the effectiveness of Union support.
Moreover, regarding emerging technologies, the amendments introduce a clear safeguard to ensure that Union funding does not support the licensing process of competing non-European technologies in partner countries, by requiring that funding decisions take the European interest and the competitiveness of the Union into account.
Besides, amendments concerning the internal component of the Instrument task the Commission to proactively propose and develop innovative legal and financial instruments capable of addressing the complex long-term uncertainties associated with the potential transfer of the nuclear liabilities of the Joint Research Centre to Member States.
Annex: declaration of input 1 block
The rapporteur declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
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- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
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Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “DRAFT REPORT on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning for the period 2028-2034 and repealing Regulations (Euratom) 2021/100 and (Euratom) 2021/948”. Text, 16 March 2026. docId ITRE-PR-785228. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/ITRE-PR-785228 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/ITRE-PR-785228 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-itre-pr-785228,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{DRAFT REPORT on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning for the period 2028-2034 and repealing Regulations (Euratom) 2021/100 and (Euratom) 2021/948}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-03-16},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/ITRE-PR-785228}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/ITRE-PR-785228},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId ITRE-PR-785228. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}