European electricity association Eurelectric has welcomed the European Commission's recently published Nuclear Illustrative Program (PINC), but expressed regrets at its failure to address the issue of premature reactor closures due to market conditions. European nuclear industry association Foratom also called on the PINC to address the impact of market conditions on nuclear investments.

Investment of between €350 billion ($399 billion) and €450 billion will be required over the next 35 years to maintain the European Union's nuclear generating capacity at between 95 and 105 GWe, according to the European Commission's latest Nuclear Illustrative Program.

Vincent de Rivaz, the CEO of EDF Energy, said today that the Hinkley Point C (HPC) project will "clearly and categorically" go ahead. Giving evidence to the UK parliament's Energy and Climate Change Committee, de Rivaz confirmed that, according to the French economy minister, the repeatedly postponed final investment decision on the project to build two EPR units at the site in Somerset, England would finally be made "by early May". He would not himself give a specific date and said the decision would be made "very soon".

The European Commission has announced its approval of the partnership between EDF and China General Nuclear (CGN) for the development, construction and operation of three new nuclear power plants in the UK. The partnership complies with EU merger regulations, it said.

A consortium of four German companies has been awarded a contract to improve infrastructure for managing radioactive waste, the rehabilitation of contaminated areas and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

French utility EDF is calling for "rapid and radical reform" of Europe's electricity market structure to allow for future investments in new generating capacity. This is needed, it says, to "face up to current challenges of the energy transition and to consumers' expectations".

An EU Council of Ministers working group has recommended the European Atomic Energy Community's (Euratom's) participation in the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) be extended for a further ten years. The final adoption of this decision by the Council of Ministers is expected soon.

Hungary has so far failed to explain how the Paks nuclear power plant expansion project does not conflict with state aid rules, the European Commission said yesterday. In response, the Hungarian government said the EC's investigation of the matter contains "a number of inaccuracies and misunderstandings" as well as "unfounded and misleading assertions".

Rosatom has the strategic aim of attracting European suppliers of nuclear power equipment and services to its foreign and domestic projects, its first deputy director general, Kirill Komarov, said today at a conference in Budapest. Following him at the podium, a Hungarian government official reassured potential suppliers that the Russia-backed Paks nuclear power plant expansion project meets European Commission rules.

The European Commission announced today that it has opened an in-depth state aid investigation into Hungary's plans to provide financing for the construction of two new nuclear power reactors in Paks. The Commission has also launched an infringement procedure against Hungary as regards the Paks II project, because it "has concerns regarding the compatibility of the project" with EU public procurement rules.

Hungary still expects to start construction of its Paks II nuclear power plant though it has yet to receive confirmation from the European Commission that the project meets the bloc's procurement rules. Attila Aszódi, the government commissioner responsible for Paks II, told reporters in Budapest yesterday that a site licence is expected to be issued in 2016, with a construction permit to follow in 2017.

Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear power plant operator, has highlighted its progress in working closely with European companies and institutions since opening an office in Brussels a year ago. The latest evidence of this is the signing announced today of an agreement with French engineering firm Areva.