PEJ seeks European Commission approval for nuclear project

Monday, 14 July 2025

Notification under the Euratom Treaty is a legal requirement for nuclear projects in European Union member states. Its purpose is to allow the European Commission to evaluate a project for its compatibility with the objectives of the Euratom Treaty, including security, sustainable development and efficient use of resources.

The outcome of the notification procedure will be an opinion from the European Commission on the project, which is necessary, among other things, to obtain a construction licence issued by the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA).

"The investor's notification of the project to the European Commission in accordance with the Euratom Treaty is an important milestone in the delivery of Poland's first nuclear power plant," said Wojciech Wrochna, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure. "The progress being made in delivering Poland's first nuclear power plant project reflects our determination to ensure that Poland has a safe and stable source of energy for decades."

Marek Woszczyk, President of the Management Board of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ) added: "Notification under Article 41 of the Euratom Treaty is one of the key stages in the preparation of the investment project. It is also an expression of our commitment to deliver the project in accordance with the highest standards of the European Union. By notifying the project, we are confirming the progress already made in the project delivery and our proactive approach to further activities."

Notification by the investor of an investment project under the Euratom Treaty is a separate process from the state aid notification procedure for the project conducted at the state's initiative.

In December 2024, the European Commission launched an investigation into whether the planned public support for Poland's first nuclear power plant complies with EU rules on state aid. It has yet to give its approval.

Under EU state aid rules, the European Commission analyses the compatibility of the measure under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which enables Member States to support the development of certain economic activities under certain conditions. The support should remain necessary and proportionate and not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest.

In November 2022, the then Polish government selected Westinghouse AP1000 reactor technology for construction at the Lubiatowo-Kopalino site in the Choczewo municipality in Pomerania in northern Poland. In September 2023, Westinghouse, PEJ - a special-purpose vehicle 100% owned by Poland's State Treasury - signed an 18-month Engineering Services Contract under which Westinghouse and Bechtel will finalise a site-specific design for a plant featuring three AP1000 reactors. The aim is for Poland's first AP1000 reactor to enter commercial operation in 2033. The total investment costs of the project are estimated to be about PLN192 billion (USD49 billion).