The European Commission has unveiled a strategy to accelerate the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) in the European Union, seeking to deploy the first SMR projects by the early 2030s (European Commission press release, 10/03/2026).
The strategy highlights the need for "a unified approach among EU countries, industry, regulators, and investors to avoid fragmentation, leverage synergies, and fast-track commercialisation", with the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs playing a major role in driving implementation. "Key measures in the Strategy include fleet-based industrial deployment of SMRs and AMRs, closer industrial cooperation and a competitive European supply chain, including fuel cycle services. The industry is encouraged to develop and implement industrial standards that support a fleet approach to SMR deployment and modular manufacturing", according to the Commission.
According to projections in the Commission’s newly released Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC), total SMR capacity in the EU could reach between 17 GW and 53 GW by 2050. Total investments to deliver on EU countries’ nuclear ambitions are estimated at around EUR241bn by 2050, covering lifetime extensions of existing reactors and construction of new large-scale reactors.