Lawmakers Call for Clear Rules to Boost Investment
MEPs from the European People’s Party are pushing the EU to treat nuclear fusion as more than just experimental research. On Tuesday, they issued a declaration urging the European Commission to establish a clear and predictable regulatory framework that could attract private investment, crucial for developing fusion given its high costs.
“Fusion has reached a turning point. European industrial capability and private investments are converging toward deployment,” the declaration states. Lawmakers emphasized that Europe has a real chance to transform scientific leadership into industrial power while securing a clean and reliable energy supply for the future.
Defining Fusion Regulations Across the EU
The declaration also asks the European Commission to provide guidance while giving member states flexibility to set their own licensing, safety, and permitting rules for fusion power plants. It stresses the need to clearly distinguish fusion from traditional fission under EU regulations, including standards for radiation protection, waste management, decommissioning, and liability.
MEPs argue that this clarity is vital to reassure investors and accelerate deployment. The Commission has confirmed it will release a fusion strategy soon, though no exact timeline has been provided.
Fusion vs. Fission: A Cleaner Future
Fusion energy generates power by fusing small atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen, releasing immense energy—the same process that powers the sun. Fission, the technology behind today’s nuclear plants, splits large atoms and produces radioactive waste. Fusion promises a cleaner, safer alternative but is still in the development phase.
Germany is leading the EU’s push, signing a €7 billion deal with RWE in 2023 to build a pilot fusion plant by 2035. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has committed to establishing a regulatory framework for fusion in Germany and across Europe, criticizing past decisions to close the country’s nuclear facilities. Lawmakers see fusion as a strategic opportunity to strengthen Europe’s energy independence and industrial competitiveness in the decades ahead.
