Italy's government on Friday adopted a law paving the way for a return to nuclear energy almost 40 years after it was banned by referendum, in what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described as a step towards energy security and self-sufficiency.

Italy’s cabinet has approved a new legal framework aimed at reintroducing nuclear power generation, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government looks to overturn a decades-long ban.

The British government's competition to select companies to develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) is on track to reach a decision in the spring, the country's nuclear body said on Friday, launching the final invitation to tender.

Premier Giorgia Meloni said Friday that her cabinet has given the green light to a bill paving the way for Italy's return to nuclear power. Italy abandoned nuclear power following a referendum in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster but the government plans to return to atomic energy with small latest-generation reactors to reduce reliance on imports and cut greenhouse gas emissions in view of the climate crisis.