The move comes amid a growing feud between France and like-minded countries that want more EU policies to promote nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source, and those like Germany and Spain who say the fuel should not be put on an equal footing with renewables. Energy, Reuters reported.
A French official said the meeting, which was convened by French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Ronacher on the sidelines of a meeting of EU energy ministers in Stockholm, will focus on the contribution of nuclear energy to climate change goals and energy security.
The official said that the aim is to form a pro-nuclear alliance with other countries before the EU negotiations, without specifying the policies involved in these negotiations.
The official said that the countries that will attend are Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Italy, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, the Netherlands and Finland, in addition to the European Commission.
European Union countries are responsible for their national energy mix, and they have diverging views on nuclear energy.
France, Sweden and Hungary are already using nuclear power, while other countries including Poland want to build their first reactors. Austria and Luxembourg oppose the power source, citing concerns about radioactive waste and safety, while other countries, including Germany, are phasing out their reactors.
A row over how to handle nuclear power has delayed negotiations on new renewable energy targets in the European Union, after a push by Paris to make nuclear-powered hydrogen count towards meeting the goals. Countries including Denmark, Germany and Austria said this could undermine efforts to expand renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
Officials say the dispute extends to other policies. European Union countries last week failed to agree on priorities for climate change diplomacy this year because of the row over nuclear power, which also threatened a multi-billion-euro hydrogen pipeline.
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