Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Energy and
Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said in
response to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Committee’s report ‘Leaving the EU: negotiation priorities for
energy and climate change policy’:
“The Committee is right to flag the risks to the UK
leaving the EU, and consequently the European Atomic Energy
Community (Euratom) for UK nuclear sector. As the Institution
identified in our February report, without
suitable transitional arrangements, the UK runs the risk of not
having an appropriate safeguarding system for nuclear material.
In addition, the UK may struggle to access the markets and skills
that enable the construction of new nuclear power plants and
existing power stations may potentially be unable to access
fuel.
“With the Article 50 process taking just two years,
the UK Government must act quickly to start the process to
develop Nuclear Cooperation Agreements to enable continuity of
international trade, for goods such as nuclear fuels and
research. Government must make sure that the UK will be able to
access sector specific skills not currently available in the UK,
such as centrifuge technology expertise. Securing the UK’s world
leading nuclear energy and radioactive waste research facilities
associated with Euratom is vital and must be part of the
transitional arrangements at the point exit.
“Making these transitional arrangements will be
difficult, but not impossible, particularly given the short
time-scale. If done correctly this could present the UK with
opportunities to speed up the process of developing new nuclear
power plants and reprocessing facilities, boost UK nuclear skills
as well as open up the UK to more international trade
deals.”
For more information read on this issue read the
Institution’s report: Leaving the EU, the
Euratom treaty part 1: Challenges and
Opportunities
