France says it’s difficult to meet EU requests on EDF reform

Bloomberg

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said it will be difficult for the country to accept the European
Commission’s requests regarding a proposed reorganisation of Electricite de France SA tied to regulatory reform.
“It seems very complicated to explain to the French — not to mention EDF employees — that we’ll give in to the demands of the European Commission, which wishes that EDF wouldn’t be a single company anymore,” Le Maire said in an interview with LCI television. “I won’t let the European Commission dismantle EDF.”
The European Commission — the European Union’s executive arm, which vets aid to member states — wants to ensure that a reorganisation of EDF won’t affect competition in the power market. Le Maire’s comments cast doubt on the outcome of talks between the commission and France aimed at giving the state-controlled utility more regulated revenue from its nuclear generation. That money would go to help maintain aging atomic plants, which are the backbone of France’s electricity supply.
“We must continue negotiations,” said Le Maire, who added that the Commission would like EDF’s nuclear, hydropower and renewables divisions to become entities with “very loose” relations, or even no ties at all.
EU officials weren’t immediately available for comment by phone.