is estimated in 2018 at €15.1 billion. As of 2018, Synatom has more than €10 billion in the phase-out fund, which includes the liabilities for waste management. Synatom may legally lend back three quarters of the fund's contents to its mother company Electrabel. In July 2018, the Belgian government approved a Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) in order to ensure energy production capacity upon a nuclear phaseout. The CRM required approval from the European Commission: the Belgian Government needs to prove these subsidies are necessary and are not illegal state aid. Minister of Energy Marie-Christine Marghem (MR), who is not in favour of a phaseout, was tasked with its implementation, but did not convince the Commission by 2020. De Croo Government In late 2020 the De Croo Government was formed with liberal, socialist, green parties and Flemish Christrian Democrats. The coalition agreement confirmed the nuclear phase-out by 2025, with a "plan B" option to continue 2GW of capacity if by November 2021 a report would show need for it. This was a compromise to meet some political parties like the liberal MR. Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten (Green party), who favoured a phaseout, was tasked with its execution and ensuring a plan B would not be necessary. Engie Electrabel as well as regular FANC emphasised the need for quick clarity on the likelihood of plan B. In February 2021, Engie Electrabel decided to stop investing in a potential continuation of nuclear plants after 2025. In 2021 Minister Van der Straeten worked quickly on revamping the Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) necessary for subsidies for gas-fired power plants. In April 2021 the Council of Ministers authorised the construction of 2,300 MWe of gas-fired (fossil fuel) plants under the CRM auction system. The CRM required approval from the European Commission under Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. On 27 August 2021, the Commission gave formal approval, on the condition all nuclear power plants would be phased out as planned. This essentially closed the fallback plan, as subsidies for gas-powered plants along with a continuation of some nuclear capacity would require a new approval procedure. In October 2021, Engie was awarded the subsidy auction to build gas power plants. As Minister of Energy Van der Straeten was successfully implementing the nuclear phaseout and replacing it by a fleet of new fossil gas power plants, her predecessor Marie-Christine Marghem (MR) criticized the decision as harmful for the