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• Explored the impact of environmental policies on nuclear trade within the EU. • Uncovered connection between environmental policies and nuclear trade relationships. • Countries pursuing environmental policies rely less on nuclear-related imports. • Nuclear trade rises as EU environmental policies align. • Environmentally friendly exporting countries shape the nuclear trade network evolution. This study explores the impact of environmental policies on nuclear trade between European Union (EU) countries. The primary research question revolves around understanding the reasons behind and the mechanisms through which nuclear trade relationships evolve. Our analysis uncovers a compelling connection between the degree of alignment in environmental policies among EU states and the emergence of nuclear trade cooperation. Furthermore, it indicates that countries actively pursuing environmental policies tend to have a reduced dependency on imports of nuclear-related goods. Notably, as environmental policies across the EU converge and become more similar, there is a noticeable inclination to engage in nuclear trade activities. Additionally, our research highlights the significant role played by exporting countries that have strong commitments to environmentally friendly policies in shaping the evolution of the nuclear trade network over time. Moreover, we observe that economic factors have a positive impact on the development of this intricate trade network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]