German minister urges EU sanctions to halt production of Russian reactor components in Lingen
Lower Saxony environment minister Christian Meyer said Germany must block the production of parts for Russian nuclear reactors at the Lingen plant and called for EU-wide sanctions, as French-owned Advanced Nuclear Fuels plans to manufacture fuel elements under a Rosatom licence.
Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony’s environment minister, told officials on Wednesday that Germany must stop the Lingen nuclear facility from producing parts for Russian reactors and that only an EU-wide sanction could enforce such a ban. He faulted Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government for failing to act, while the federal environment ministry reiterated its opposition to any cooperation with Russia’s state nuclear fuel producer Rosatom.
Advanced Nuclear Fuels, a Framatome subsidiary, intends to expand the Lingen plant’s licence to manufacture fuel elements for Russian-type reactors, operating under a TVEL licence. The plant’s output would be destined for nuclear customers in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland. The German environmental NGO BUND announced an emergency legal challenge to the decision that permitted the project, and a separate lawsuit contesting the investment licence is currently under review.
Most EU member states have not supported the broader sanctions Meyer proposes. Rosatom declined to comment on the matter.
Why it matters
The story highlights tensions over European policy toward Russian nuclear technology and the use of sanctions to curb such cooperation.
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