France faces EU scrutiny over nuclear state aid as EDF selects EPR2 sites

The European Commission has launched a formal procedure to investigate France's state aid project regarding EDF and nuclear energy. This investigation, initiated under Article 108(2) of the TFEU, focuses on the conditions under which a state can provide strategic investment for nuclear power. While not a rejection of public support for nuclear energy, the move highlights a regulatory struggle over the necessity and proportionality of such aid for large-scale energy infrastructure.

Simultaneously, EDF is in the process of selecting sites for its EPR2 reactor program. The Golfech nuclear power plant in the Occitanie region has been formally proposed to host two new EPR2 reactors. Local officials, including Occitanie President Carole Delga, are advocating for the site, citing its industrial expertise and the importance of nuclear power for France's energy sovereignty and decarbonization goals. EDF must choose four sites from six remaining candidates for the next phase of the program.