The Belgian Parliament reversed a 2003 law for the phase-out of nuclear energy this week by a large majority vote. In 2003, the parliament decided to close both of its nuclear plants and ban the construction of new nuclear capacity. Nuclear reactor Doel-1, one of four reactors at the Doel Nuclear Power Station, originally slated for closure in 2015, was finally shut down in February 2025. Doel-3 was closed in 2022, and Tihange-2, first of the three reactors at the Tihange Nuclear Power Station, closed in 2023.
Tihange-1 and Doel-2 were both slated for closure this year, but since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, concerns over availability of energy prompted the government to reconsider the closure—something already being advocated for by Stand Up for Nuclear and supported by the Belgian Nuclear Forum. On May 15, the legislature voted 102 to 8 to reverse the 2003 law.
“This day will go down in history as a turning point in Belgian energy history,” Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet said. “By approving with a large majority, the law that heralds the return of nuclear energy in our country, the federal parliament leaves behind two decades of blockages and hesitations to pave the way for a realistic and resilient energy model.”
New projects are being discussed.
It is notable that also the Danish parliament, which had voted in 1985 to ban nuclear plants from being built in the country, voted this week by a two-thirds majority to explore the possible use of nuclear energy in order to ensure its energy security. A report on the potential benefits of new nuclear power technologies is expected to be completed in 2026.
Italy is also returning to nuclear power. In early March, the Italian Council of Ministers approved a plan to reverse the anti-nuclear stance solidified by referendums in 1987 and 2011.