Imported Article – 2026-03-14 15:38:44

Réunion on March 12, 2026, after a presidential visit to the Penly site, the Nuclear Policy Council (CPN) clarified several key directions of French nuclear strategy: adjustment of the EPR2 budget, confirmation of their financing scheme, progress on the back end of the cycle, relaunch of a fast neutron reactor program, and renewed support for small reactor projects. The RGN looks back at the five main announcements of this meeting.

On March 12, 2026, after a visit to Penly, Emmanuel Macron chaired a Nuclear Policy Council (CPN, the fifth in five years). It allows the Executive to set and clarify the major orientations of national nuclear policy. The RGN recalls the five key points of this CPN.

1. Adjusting the EPR2 budget

The CPN provided an opportunity to review the EPR2 budget, approved by EDF’s Board of Directors in December 2025. The utility estimates the maximum cost of the first three pairs of EPR2 in the country at 72.8 billion euros (2020 value). EDF’s budget was audited by the Interministerial Delegation for New Nuclear (Dinn) at the beginning of 2026. This work was presented at the CPN, although it has not yet been made public. “The Board has asked EDF to implement the recommendations identified by the Dinn by the end of 2026 and to report on them as part of the monitoring provided by the Dinn,” the statement said. “EDF teams are committed to implementing the recommendations made by the Dinn in its audit,” said Bernard Fontana, EDF CEO, on LinkedIn.

2. French savings mobilized

The CPN also allowed the executive to “confirm the key principles and parameters of the financing and regulation scheme of the EPR2 program.” Thus, the state bonus granted for 60% of the total program amount was approved by the Elysée. Previously, the government explained that the amount should cover “at least 50%” of the costs of the six EPR2. This subsidy will be provided by the Bank of Territories and will mobilize “the resources of the Savings Fund, which centralizes a significant portion of regulated savings (Livret A, LDDS, and LEP),” according to the Caisse des Dépôts in a press release. Discussed since 2023, it is the first time the government has confirmed the mobilization of French savings to finance new nuclear plants.