The European Commission is discussing the introduction of an import quota of zero for Russian gas, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Nuclitalia will be in charge of assessing the most innovative and mature designs of new sustainable nuclear power, with an initial focus on water-cooled small modular reactors (SMRs).

"Despite the significant progress achieved under the REPowerEU Plan and via sanctions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in 2024 the EU saw a rebound in Russian gas imports," the EC said. "More coordinated actions are therefore needed, as the EU's overdependency on Russian energy imports is a security threat."

The collaboration focuses on a number of critical areas seen as essential for scaling SEALER from prototype to full commercial readiness.

Renewable hydrogen is also part of a broader plan and series of directives aiming at increasing the share of renewable energies in EU’s energy consumption.

Our projections indicate significant uncertainty in societal cost estimates for 2050, ranging from approximately €236/tCO₂ to €3,938/tCO₂. Consequently, direct comparisons with marginal abatement costs become difficult; for instance, even the relatively lower MAC of €1,944/tCO₂e in the “Linear Path to Net Zero” scenario aligns with societal costs only under particular discount rates and growth assumptions.

However, the country reaffirmed its commitment to a €4bn subsidy package for producers of low-carbon hydrogen (compared to H2 from fossil fuels) to support the commercialisation and industrialisation of early-stage hydrogen projects and the development of necessary regulatory frameworks and infrastructure.

ČEZ said the contract increased the diversification of suppliers and helped the energy security for the country.

The French state partly owns Engie, which used to be among the biggest buyers of Gazprom's gas. Holleaux said Russia could supply around 20-25% of EU needs, down from 40% before the war.

EU countries are expected to add 89 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity in 2025, including 70GW of solar and 19GW of wind, according to Commission projections shared with Reuters. The projections are based on industry data.

Gazprom began supplying gas to Slovakia again at the beginning of February, using volumes given up by Hungary on the TurkStream pipeline, SPP said last month. Volumes were due to double from April, but no amounts were given.

Hungary has gone the other way, leveraging its ties to Moscow for economic gain. It carved out exemptions from under EU sanctions on Russian oil and doubled down on natural gas purchases from Russia. Hungary is also pressing on with the Russia-led expansion of its sole nuclear power plant.

Lower LNG demand from China is also providing near-term relief for European buyers competing for shipments. The Asian country’s purchases are forecast to fall this year for the first time since 2022,

LNG suppliers have invested billions in new export projects on the assumption that China, the world’s top buyer, will underpin demand growth for decades.

In the MoU, the signatories commit to pursuing the path to commercial fusion energy for Hesse and establishing the state as a leading location for cutting-edge research and the development of laser-based nuclear fusion.