Belgium is taking the first steps to scrap its law on the nuclear phase-out. A bill that was approved by the Energy Committee heralds a clear paradigm shift by "turning a law against nuclear power into a law for nuclear power."
The nuclear phase-out law – which dates from 2003 – imposed a closure date on the Belgium's various nuclear reactors, while also prohibiting the construction of new power plants. This new bill undoes these two provisions, the office of Federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR) confirmed to The Brussels Times.
"This decision reflects our new Federal Government's will to lift the blockades of the past to ensure a future-proof energy policy for Belgium," Bihet said.
While the planned phase-out had long been a thorn in the side of Francophone liberals MR and Flemish nationalists N-VA, abolishing the law was out of the question for the previous Federal 'Vivaldi' Government (which included greens Groen and Ecolo, who were behind the push to phase out Belgium's nuclear reactors).
Paradigm shift
The new Federal 'Arizona' Government – without the greens, but with N-VA – quickly found a compromise on the issue. "By opening the door to new nuclear reactors, we want to guarantee competitive and sovereign energy production based on diversification of energy sources and strengthened strategic autonomy," said Bihet.
The bill was submitted by the majority parties and was given the green light at the first reading on Tuesday. A second reading will be held at the request of the opposition party PS (Francophone socialists), but it is expected to be approved with a final vote on 22 April.
For Bihet – who contributed to the creation of this legislation by submitting these texts as an MP – the text is a "paradigm shift," saying that "energy forms are no longer being pitted against each other, but should complement each other pragmatically."
The bill does not yet mean that the Federal Government can immediately start building new nuclear power plants or proceed with an additional lifetime extension of the existing reactors, but Bihet called it "a first step" that "paves the way for a regulated framework that ensures the safety of both existing and future plants."
Minister of Energy Mathieu Bihet pictured during a meeting of the Chamber Commission Energy, Environment and Climate. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
In the Energy Committee, Federal MP Bert Wollants (N-VA) said that a first obstacle is now being cleared. "This text turns a law against nuclear power into a law for nuclear power," he stressed.
The government "must do everything possible to keep our existing power plants open and to build small modular reactors over time," said Federal MP Phaedra Van Keymolen (CD&V). "This amendment to the nuclear exit law will make this possible."
Opposition MPs Kurt Ravyts (Vlaams Belang) and Steven Coenegrachts (Open VLD) said that they would vote along with the proposal, while PTB-PVDA indicated that it would abstain. No one from Groen-Ecolo was present in the parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
