27 January 2026 16:19 UTC · European Commission · EU Commission Press Release · Source · Email X Link

European Commission says SMRs key to EU energy strategy

Key points

Aims for first SMR deployments in the early 2030s
Seeks closer collaboration, innovation, and skills development

TL;DR

European Commission says it will present an SMR Strategy in the coming months to accelerate SMR development and aim for first deployments in the early 2030s.
European Commission highlights SMR benefits for decarbonising industry (steel, chemicals), providing district heating, and delivering low-carbon electricity.
European Commission calls for closer collaboration on early joint design reviews among nuclear safety authorities, stronger links across the innovation chain, and workforce skills development.

Original text

European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Remarks by Commissioner Jørgensen at the Stakeholders' Forum of the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors Brussels, 27 January 2026 Dear friends, At this very moment, the EU stands at a turning point. And if we want to turn in the right direction – towards a Europe of prosperity, opportunity, and independence – then we need energy that is clean and sustainable; secure and reliable; affordable and accessible. Meeting all of these needs at once is a complex challenge. But by harnessing all of our home-grown, low-carbon energies – from wind and solar, to geothermal and nuclear – it is a challenge we can overcome. And when it comes to nuclear, the potential of Small Modular Reactors cannot be overlooked. Beyond generating electricity, SMRs offer wide-ranging opportunities: from helping steel and chemical producers to decarbonise, to providing citizens with reliable low-carbon energy for district heating. But to deliver these benefits, we need to drive innovation and stronger collaboration: between industries and institutions, across sectors and borders. That is why we have established the SMR Industrial Alliance – and it is also why we have brought you here today. Today's Forum is an opportunity to exchange on the way forward, beyond the Industrial Alliance. We in the Commission want to hear from all of you. Tell us how we can build a truly scalable European supply chain for SMRs; how we can boost research and innovation; how we can speed up deployment; and how we can strengthen skills and improve public engagement. Let me highlight three areas in need of specific attention. First of all, we need to foster closer collaboration among nuclear safety authorities on early joint design reviews. This can help us to achieve greater efficiency, avoiding both duplication and fragmentation, and enabling us to speed up the deployment of the first SMRs in Europe. Secondly, I would be grateful to hear your perspectives on how we can establish closer ties along the innovation chain. This means forging stronger links between academia, research organisations, and innovative enterprises, including high-tech start-ups and scale-ups. Finally, we need to ensure that our workforce has the right skills, expertise, and availability – so that they can be on site exactly when they are needed. This event is an opportunity for us to address these and other topics, as we shape our upcoming SMR Strategy. I will present this Strategy in the coming months, and my hope is that it will shape our joint work for the coming years. Our Strategy will aim to accelerate the development and deployment of SMRs in Europe, so that we get the first SMR deployments in the early 2030s. It will aim to secure a high degree of local content and European added value in SMR projects, while also advancing European leadership on Advanced Modular Reactors . I therefore encourage you to seize the opportunities offered by today's Forum. Europe is already a global leader in nuclear innovation, but if we want to stay in the race, we need to step up our pace. With this in mind, I thank you for your time, and I wish you a fantastic day of debate and discussion. SPEECH/26/248 Press contacts: Cristiana MARCHITELLI (+32 2 29 89407) Anna-Kaisa ITKONEN (+32 2 29 57501) General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email

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