On 30 July 2026, Commissioner Jørgensen, in a written answer to a parliamentary question from Anja Arndt (ESN), defended the Commission's approach to funding Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), asserting that private investors and philanthropists such as Breakthrough Energy or TerraPower are not currently involved in EU-backed SMR projects. The answer, which also addressed concerns about potential conflicts of interest, stressed that public funding aims to mobilise private capital through instruments like guarantees for first-of-a-kind projects, and that existing transparency rules apply to all external stakeholder interactions.
The question, raised by Arndt, asked whether the Commission saw conflicts of interest if private entities like Breakthrough Energy or TerraPower could use EU funds for SMRs while simultaneously supporting policy advice, project funding, and public outreach on the technology. Jørgensen's response confirmed that neither organisation is a member of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs, nor is the Commission aware of their involvement in any EU SMR projects it is engaged with. He also pointed to the Transparency Register and published meeting minutes as mechanisms ensuring transparency.
The answer reiterates commitments made in the Commission's SMR Strategy, presented on 10 March 2026, which aims to bring the first SMR projects online in the early 2030s. That strategy also included a temporary EUR 200 million InvestEU top-up, implemented with the European Investment Bank until 2028, to support innovative nuclear technologies. Additionally, the Commission noted that an IPCEI on innovative nuclear technologies is in the design phase, with funding from Member States, and that the Euratom Research and Training Programme continues to support SMR safety research, with EUR 30 million already allocated to five projects in 2024 and a further EUR 15 million expected for 2026–27.
The answer contains no new concrete proposals or numerical targets beyond those already announced, instead reaffirming the Commission's policy direction of using public de-risking to attract private investment. It also underscores continued international cooperation on SMRs while maintaining strategic autonomy and avoiding new dependencies. The response signals that the Commission sees no immediate need for additional safeguards beyond existing transparency rules, but it leaves open the possibility of future scrutiny if private actors become more involved in EU SMR funding.
Stakeholders impacted include EU taxpayers, who bear the cost of public guarantees and research funding; private investors in nuclear technology, who may benefit from de-risking instruments; EU nuclear industry players, who face competition from new entrants; and civil society groups concerned about transparency and potential conflicts of interest. The balance between accelerating SMR deployment and ensuring public accountability remains a key tension, as the Commission prioritises mobilising private capital over imposing stricter conflict-of-interest rules.