Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, has been mandated with supporting SMR development upon taking office. The strategy intends to accelerate the development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors in Europe over the next decade.

The context of the initiative is threefold: the EU ambition to become carbon-neutral by 2050; EU work to phase out energy imports from Russia, and to improve the competitiveness of the EU economy.

SMRs and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) could offer several advantages, including simpler design, better safety features, cost-effectiveness of factory production and they can reduce construction and operational costs. This has been recognised previously, notably in the Commission’s 2040 Climate Target Communication which emphasised that all zero- and low-carbon energy solutions, including nuclear, are needed to decarbonise the EU’s energy system. These energy solutions can make the EU more competitiveness and strengthen resilience and security of supply.

In June 2025, the Commission published its Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC), which offers an up-to-date, comprehensive and fact-based overview of nuclear energy investments across the EU, including small modular reactors (SMRs) - as also outlined in the action plan for affordable energy.

Over 10 EU countries, in their final updated national energy and climate plans (NECPs), expressed interest in developing and deploying SMRs over the next decade, alongside renewables, to help decarbonise their economies. These initiatives recognise SMRs as a potential source of clean, flexible electricity and heat for residential and industrial applications, including hydrogen production. Initiatives of EU industry and EU countries in this field risk being insufficient without a common EU approach.