Nuclear: EAGLES welcomes the Commission’s vision for accelerating SMR deployment

The EAGLES Consortium, with partners Ansaldo Nucleare and ENEA (Italy), RATEN (Romania) and SCK CEN (Belgium), welcomes the European Commission’s new Strategy for the Development and Deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which was officially launched on 10 March 2026 during the Nuclear Energy Summit held in Paris. EAGLES Consortium sees the initiative as a significant step forward for Europe’s clean-energy ambitions and for the industrial deployment of the next-generation nuclear technologies.

“The new European Strategy on Small Modular Reactors represents a decisive step forward in the evolution of Europe’s energy landscape. The Commission clearly recognises that fast implementation, standardisation, and cross-border cooperation are essential to accelerate SMRs deployment - an approach fully consistent with EAGLES' vision and with the objectives set out in the EU Industrial Acceleration Act. Building a strong European industrial ecosystem, capable of ensuring long-term energy safety, sustainability and competitiveness while generating tangible scientific, technological, and economical benefits, is an opportunity Europe cannot afford to miss. As EAGLES, we are ready to contribute to this transformation, leveraging the solid collaboration already in place.”, comments Roberto Adinolfi, Chairman of the EAGLES Consortium.

“The EAGLES consortium welcomes the Commission’s commitment to strengthening EU district and industrial capacity, especially in hard-to-abate sectors, promoting regulatory convergence, and supporting innovation across the nuclear value chain”, added Alessandro Dodaro, head of ENEA nuclear department. “These elements are essential for enabling the first European SMR deployments in the early 2030s, for ensuring Europe remains competitive in a rapidly evolving global market. The EAGLES consortium emphasises the importance of coordinated action among Member States, industries, and research organisations to accelerate time-to-market, develop a robust supply chain, and ensure the highest standards of safety and sustainability. Representing a truly unique European initiative, distinguished by its closer cooperation, unparalleled expertise and consolidated knowhow in the sector, EAGLES stands ready to support these objectives by fostering energy security, sustainability and competitiveness”, concluded Dodaro.