The European Union’s clean energy future is under threat, as the potential appointment of two anti-nuclear commissioners risks derailing progress toward clean energy goals.
With Teresa Ribera and Dan Jørgensen in line for key commission roles, their long-standing opposition to nuclear energy could block Europe’s nuclear revival, a key component of achieving climate goals. Despite overwhelming evidence that nuclear is vital to decarbonising the energy sector, these candidates prioritise ideology over science, leaving Europe vulnerable to higher emissions and energy instability.
On November 5th and November the 12th, Jørgensen and Ribera respectively, will undergo the EU confirmation hearings.
Now is the time to act—urge the European Parliament to reject these appointments and ensure climate-focused, science-based leadership for our energy transition.
This action is the result of efforts by WePlanet and allies, including Econucleares, Nuklearia, and Foreningen Atomkraft Ja Tak.
- Click to read full petition text.
We the undersigned are extremely concerned that the European Union’s progress on the clean energy transition and towards net zero is at risk with the proposed appointment of two new commissioners who are long-time ideological opponents of nuclear power.
Teresa Ribera, put forward as executive vice-president for competition and the green transition, and Dan Jørgensen, suggested as commissioner for energy, have both made repeated statements against nuclear and cannot be trusted with powerful portfolios which will give them the opportunity to hinder or block Europe’s nuclear revival.
With these appointments Ursula von der Leyen is proposing to put the foxes in charge of the hen house, leaving Europe’s industry and electricity to the mercies of politicians who advocate phasing out nuclear power irrespective of the impact this would have on our climate targets, jobs and the economy.
Accordingly, we ask that the European Parliament – in particular the environment committee (ENVI) and committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE) - vote against the appointment of the two proposed commissioners, and instead mandate Ursula von der Leyen to make new proposals for candidates who are technologically neutral and put climate first.
Both candidates have a long track record of anti-nuclear statements. Ribera is widely acknowledged as a “hardened nuclear skeptic” and has called the inclusion of nuclear in the Green Taxonomy – which the Commission is currently defending in court against legal challenges from Austria and Greenpeace – a “big mistake”. If she takes the helm as vice president responsible for energy, she could side with nuclear opponents in court and against her own Commission colleagues.
Dan Jørgensen has called existing Commission policy on including nuclear in the Taxonomy “greenwashing” and promised to fight against it “tooth and nail”. He has even spread clear misinformation about basic nuclear physics and radiological safety on social media.
If irreparable damage is not to be caused to Europe’s energy future and climate targets, the European Parliament must block these proposed commissioner appointments. Warm words are not enough; it is clear that both are ideologically motivated and impervious to scientific evidence and cannot carry out the roles for which they have been proposed.
European parliamentarians, committee members and coordinators, please vote against Ribera and Jørgensen.