The goal is to strengthen energy security through next-generation technologies, in line with other European countries.
Why it matters: Italy aims to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependence on foreign supplies, paving the way for new nuclear plants, waste management solutions, and the training of specialised expertise.
Details: The draft bill sets the regulatory framework for a National Program on sustainable nuclear power.
- Concrete measures: construction of new plants, nuclear waste management, and training for technicians and researchers.
- Establishes an independent administrative authority, modelled on the European system, to oversee safety and monitoring.
- Streamlines authorisation procedures, with less bureaucracy, faster timelines, and a clear priority for national interest over local resistance.
- Opens the door to public-private partnerships and support schemes, making the system more flexible than in the past.
Timeline: Once approved by the Council of Ministers, the bill moves to Parliament.
- Within one year of entering into force, implementing decrees must be adopted, with possible adjustments in the following 24 months.
Political line: Environment and Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin stressed the need for a debate based on science rather than ideology.
- “We need to explain what the new nuclear is—not the atomic bomb—and what it can do for the country in terms of safety and control,” he said.
Zoom in – the waste issue: The bill clearly distinguishes between temporary storage and permanent disposal and sets safety and radiation protection standards in line with international rules.
