France is EU’s first importer of ‘Russian nuclear products’: study

(EurActiv, 19 Sep 2023) France will have more than tripled its imports of Russian industrial nuclear products between 2021 and 2022, making it the EU’s leading importer, according to a study by Polish think tank Forum Energii, raising questions about the EU’s ability to wean itself from Russian resources.

In 2022, EU countries imported Russian nuclear industry products, such as nuclear fuel, compounds and parts for reactors, worth €720 million – 22% more than in 2021, according to Eurostat data cited by Forum Energii in an article published on 5 September.

France is now the leading importer of “Russian nuclear industry products”, with €359 million worth of imports in 2022, a jump of more than 250% compared to 2021.

According to the think tank, French purchases mainly focus on recycled fuel, without excluding more global agreements on maintenance or management systems.

In other words, “cooperation between the two countries is very close”, which, according to Forum Energii, “fits in with Russia’s strategy of building further areas of EU dependence on Russia.”

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EurActiv, 19 Sep 2023: France is EU’s first importer of ‘Russian nuclear products’: study