Sittings · Document
On the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning for the period 2028-2034 and repealing Regulations (Euratom) 2021/100 and (Euratom) 2021/948
Committee on Budgets · Rapporteur: Rasmus Andresen
The Committee on Budgets gives its budgetary assessment of the proposed Council regulation setting up the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation and Decommissioning (INSCD) for 2028-2034.¶¶¶ It agrees the programme envelope should be EUR 0.97 billion in current prices (EUR 0.85 billion in 2025 prices), and amends Article 3(1) to set the envelope at EUR 966 000 000 in current prices (EUR 853 942 000 in 2025 prices).¶¶ It asks for sufficient human and technical resources, upfront cost estimates, and a programme structure that clearly identifies resources for nuclear safety cooperation and for decommissioning and radioactive waste management.¶¶ It calls for transparency and parliamentary scrutiny over a possible budgetary guarantee, external assigned revenue, and complementarity with other programmes such as Global Europe.¶¶¶ It stresses synergies with the Euratom Research and Training Programme, consistency with the proposed performance regulation, mitigating conditions against delays and cost overruns, and compliance with the Financial Regulation's rule-of-law conditionality.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Budgets agrees the programme envelope should be EUR 0.97 billion in current prices (EUR 0.85 billion in 2025 prices) and submits one amendment setting the envelope at EUR 966 000 000 in current prices (EUR 853 942 000 in 2025 prices). It calls for sufficient resources, upfront cost estimates, traceability of expenditure, transparency and parliamentary scrutiny.¶¶¶
Key points
- The INSCD merges international nuclear safety cooperation with decommissioning and radioactive waste management, and this merger must not undermine traceability or the clear identifiability of each type of expenditure.¶
- The Committee agrees the programme envelope should be EUR 0.97 billion in current prices (EUR 0.85 billion in 2025 prices), ensuring sufficient and predictable resources for both nuclear safety cooperation and decommissioning and radioactive waste management.¶
- Sufficient human and technical resources must be available from the outset and throughout the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework, and the Commission should estimate costs, including management costs, upfront.¶
- Detailed and sound legislation with appropriate governance is a condition for budgetary decision-making and parliamentary oversight, and the programme structure must clearly identify the distribution of resources among its components.¶
- The Joint Research Centre's decommissioning activities meet long-term legal and technical obligations, so stable and predictable financial programming is needed for timely contractual renegotiations and implementation.¶
- The budgetary implications of borrowing and lending operations under a possible budgetary guarantee must be clearly identified, transparently presented and monitored, with their impact on budgetary headroom assessed and the powers of co-legislators respected.¶
- Complementarity with other programmes such as Global Europe must not harm expenditure traceability; the INSCD's contribution to jointly financed operations must be identifiable at all stages and reflected in its programme performance statement.¶
- The use of external assigned revenue, including additional contributions from participating non-EU countries and other donors, must be clearly defined, transparent and subject to parliamentary scrutiny, and must not circumvent the annual budgetary procedure.¶
- Synergies and complementarity with other EU policies and programmes, such as the Euratom Research and Training Programme, must be ensured.¶
- Any change to the INSCD's architecture, objectives and eligible actions must be reflected in Annex I of the proposed performance regulation, and sectoral legislation should remain consistent with that regulation.¶
- The Commission should set mitigating conditions to minimise delays and cost overruns, estimate all costs upfront, and take estimated costs and sufficient pledges from other donors into account before financing decisions; indirect management contracts should include performance incentives.¶
- Under Article 6(2) and (3) of the Financial Regulation, the rule-of-law conditionality regime applies to the budget, and member states and the Commission must ensure compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU's founding values.¶
Who is affected
- The Commission, which must estimate costs upfront, keep Parliament informed and ensure transparency in implementing the INSCD.¶¶
- The budgetary authority and co-legislators, whose powers and prerogatives must be respected on guarantees, external assigned revenue and combined funding.¶¶¶
- Beneficiaries, for whom enhanced complementarity between programmes must not create disproportionate complexity.¶
- Member states, which must ensure compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU's founding values in implementing the budget.¶
- The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, which should coordinate with the Committee on Budgets on any amendments to external assigned revenue provisions.¶
Figures and deadlines
- EUR 0.97 billion in current prices (EUR 0.85 billion in 2025 prices) — the programme envelope the Committee agrees on.¶
- EUR 966 000 000 in current prices (EUR 853 942 000 in 2025 prices) — the programme envelope set by Amendment 1 to Article 3(1).¶
- 1 January 2028 to 31 December 2034 — the implementation period of the Instrument.¶
- 2028-2034 — the multiannual financial framework period covered by the programme.¶¶
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