Leaving the EU’s nuclear safeguards agreement Euratom “comes at a cost of millions, with very real doubts that it will actually be ready in time” the Select Committee on Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has warned in a new report.
It says, “Without the nuclear cooperation agreements and international safeguards regime currently delivered by Euratom the UK will not be able to guarantee access to materials essential to the running the country’s nuclear power stations, which at present provide 21% of our power”. A ‘no deal’ exit was “highly risky”, and “it is highly doubtful that the UK could deliver safeguards to Euratom standards by the point of our departure in March 2019.”
It wants government to commit to an extended transitional period for civil nuclear, or continued support from Euratom.
Rachel Reeves MP, BEIS committee chair, said that negotiations so far have only covered Euratom’s broad principles. She said, “The industry needs more clarity about our future safeguards regime and what regulatory equivalence will actually mean in practice. We believe the government must pursue as close as possible a relationship with Euratom, to retain our influence, serve our national interests, and ensure the valuable role which civil nuclear plays in our research base, in our economy and in our energy security, is not undermined”.
Responding to the report, Justin Bowden, GMB national secretary for energy, said: “The crisis over Euratom is entirely of the government’s own making and risks collapsing the UK’s entire nuclear industry – including severely delaying the new £18 billion Hinkley Point C power plant – for little more than ideologically driven axe-grinding.
“… it would be sensible to delay any changes to our membership of Euratom until arrangements are agreed and in place that guarantee UK nuclear interests are protected.”
Further reading
What’s our European nuclear future? Options on exiting Euratom
Brexit ‘puts operation of the UK nuclear industry at risk’, warns Select Committee