World
Nuclear sidelined in leaked rules on state aid for clean tech
A draft of updated rules on permissible state aid within the forthcoming Clean Industrial Deal has no explicit mention of nuclear power, despite recent signals from the European Commission executive that it was beginning to see the technology as integral to the EU’s transition to net-zero.
The European Commission appears to be limiting the role for nuclear power in its flagship policy to boost EU industry through support for a transition to clean tech, potentially putting it on collision course with pro-nuclear countries such as France, a leaked document suggests.
The draft framework for state aid measures lists a plethora of technologies, solar and wind power infrastructure to batteries production, and the conditions where countries would be allowed to diverge from normally rigid single-market rules that prohibit national governments from subsidising their domestic industries.
Crucially, nuclear power appears to be largely excluded from the production of hydrogen, a clean energy carrier that is set to play a crucial role in decarbonising steelmaking, the production of chemicals, and other sectors that currently rely on fossil fuels and produce huge volumes of greenhouse gases.
For a project to qualify for state aid, the proportion of ‘green’ hydrogen – produced using power sources such as wind, solar or hydro – must be 25 percentage points in excess of the share of such renewables in a country’s electricity system, a requirement clearly designed to incentivise further deployment.
Overall, the permissible role for ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen – potentially produced from nuclear, or even natural gas when combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) – would be limited to as little as 10%, according to the leaked text.
To further complicate matters, however, the EU has yet to finalise its definition of ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen, although an official draft published for consultation last year proposed a minimum emissions reduction of 70% compared to production using fossil fuels, suggesting the door is open for nuclear.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos last year month, von der Leyen acknowledged a role for nuclear power in Europe’s energy transition, saying the EU must continue to “diversify our energy supplies, and expand clean sources of generation from renewables and, in some countries, also from nuclear”.
Vice-president Stéphane Séjourné – the French commissioner in charge of the EU’s industrial strategy – went further during a visit to a long-delayed new reactor in Flamanville, Normandy last week, declaring that fully recognising nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source was “a question of EU sovereignty”.
“The inclusion of low-carbon hydrogen from nuclear power in the Clean Industrial Deal is a positive first step,” Séjourné said in a social media post. “I will fight to go further, so that nuclear energy is fully recognised, in the same way as renewables, or bioenergies.”
The French commissioner is due to present the Clean Industrial Deal alongside fellow vice-president Teresa Ribera, whose portfolio covers the clean transition and competitiveness, on 26 February. The accompanying rules on state aid will be subject to a public consultation, with the draft open to potentially substantial revision before publication.
Trump congratulates Colombia presidential candidate
Trump congratulated Abelardo De La Espriella, known by many as ‘El Tigre,’ following an initial ballot count. While not officially called, the narrow lead signals a potential rightward shift for Colombia. (Reuters.)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The concession came days after Cepeda initially refused to acknowledge defeat following preliminary results that showed de la Espriella as the apparent winner.
“At this stage of the vote count, I have decided to accept the result emerging from that process, which indicates that Abelardo de la Espriella is the new President of the Republic,” Cepeda said in an address to the nation.
“I do so as an act of democratic responsibility.”
TRUMP SAYS COLOMBIA’S ‘EL TIGRE’ WILL BE A ‘GREAT PRESIDENT’ AS SOCIALIST OPPONENT LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE
Ivan Cepeda speaks during a campaign rally in Cali, Colombia, on June 6, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never previously run for office, known to his supporters as “El Tigre,” defeated Senate member Iván Cepeda by one percentage point in a remarkably close election, according to officials.
“The vote count shows an extraordinarily narrow margin between the two options vying for the trust of the Colombian people,” he said. “Less than 1% of the vote separates the candidacies that participated in this contest.”
Despite his concession, Cepeda made serious allegations that de la Espriella’s victory was influenced by “foreign interference” by the United States and the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate voters.
“During this process, we denounced the open and improper foreign interference in Colombia’s internal affairs—particularly the interventions by the United States government, and specifically the interventions by President Donald Trump in support of Abelardo de la Espriella’s candidacy,” he said.
He further accused the opposing campaign of widespread vote-buying and unethical tactics that he said undermined the legitimacy of the election results.
ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA’S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION
Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech to supporters during a campaign rally in Palmira, near Cali, Colombia on May 14, 2026. (Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images)
President-elect de la Espriella will begin his four-year term in August.
“Starting August 7, we will work with determination to consolidate a common agenda that strengthens the security, freedom, and prosperity of our nations,” de la Espriella in a post on X.
The result will effectively end outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s leftist influence on the state and the policies Cepeda had pledged to continue if he won the election.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, left, and President Donald Trump are shown in separate photographs. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images; Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A core pillar of Petro’s signature agenda was his “total peace” strategy, aimed at opening negotiations with remaining guerrilla forces, drug cartels, and armed paramilitary groups in an effort to end Colombia’s decades long internal conflict.
In contrast, de la Espriella has pledged a more hardline approach, including a militarized crackdown on criminal organizations, proposals to build mega-prisons, expand fossil fuel fracking, and revive the controversial practice of aerial glyphosate spraying to eradicate coca crops.
The president-elect, who holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, has also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-dubbed “Shield of the Americas,” a proposed coalition aimed at coordinating efforts against criminal groups in Latin America.
Published on
Ten years after the UK voted to exit the European Union, the debate over Brexit’s legacy is far from over. MEPs Barry Andrews (Renew Europe) and Sander Smit (European Conservatives & Reformists) go head-to-head on whether Brexit has strengthened or weakened Europe—and whether Britain could or should one day return to the bloc.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
For Irish MEP Barry Andrews, the answer is clear. He argues that leaving the EU was a mistake and a “total disaster” for the UK, pointing to years of political instability and economic challenges since the referendum. He also contends that Brexit has ultimately strengthened support for the European project, stating that “there is nobody looking to leave the European Union anymore.”
Dutch MEP Sander Smit takes a different view, saying the EU still misses “the UK’s crucial voice for fiscal and financial discipline” and warning against a more centralised Europe. “Our future lies in a stronger partnership,” he says. “Let the UK and EU countries move beyond the past and work together as natural, sovereign allies.”
The Ring is hosted by Méabh Mc Mahon, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.
You can contact us at: thering@euronews.com
-
Technology10 minutes agoA new paper argues Microsoft exaggerated its quantum claims a year ago
-
World15 minutes agoColombia’s ‘El Tigre’ secures presidency as leftist rival finally concedes defeat
-
Politics22 minutes agoComer probes alleged Biden collusion with gun control activists in Glock lawsuit
-
Sports30 minutes ago2026 World Cup Third-Place Standings: Who’s In, Who’s On The Bubble
-
Technology37 minutes agoFCC phone ID plan could end burner phones
-
Business40 minutes agoSony Pictures invests $100 million in virtual reality venue Cosm
-
Entertainment45 minutes agoCulture Clash knows the end is near. It wants to go out with a bang
-
Politics55 minutes agoVice President JD Vance’s visit gives ‘The View’ a ratings boost
