On 11–12 June 2025, the ECOSENS online international workshop titled “Co-development of Recommendations on Stakeholder Engagement in (Nuclear) Energy Governance” was successfully held, bringing together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders to refine and validate key recommendations stemming from Work Package 1 (WP1) of the ECOSENS project: A Collaborative Assessment of (Imagined) Energy Worlds. The workshop provided a structured setting for 27 participants to collectively examine draft recommendations designed to improve stakeholder involvement in nuclear energy and broader energy policy decisions.
Participants contributed valuable examples, comments, and refinements to the recommendations, grounding their insights in practical experiences from stakeholder engagement in various energy contexts across Europe. A consistent theme emerged: despite the existence of robust international frameworks such as the Aarhus Convention and national regulations which promote transparency and inclusivity, actual practice in nuclear energy governance often falls short. Stakeholders’ engagement remains fragmented, tokenistic, or merely consultative rather than co-creative.
Workshop outputs will be synthesised into a revised set of recommendations, which will undergo a final round of reflection and validation at the ECOSENS Final Conference, scheduled for 8–9 September 2025 in Milano, Italy. These recommendations aim to serve as a practical roadmap for national and European institutions, nuclear industry stakeholders, and civil society actors striving for legitimate, inclusive, and forward-looking energy governance.
