Lawmakers Call for Clear Rules and Investment
MEPs from the European People’s Party are urging the EU to treat nuclear fusion as more than just experimental science. On Tuesday, they issued a declaration calling for a clear and predictable regulatory framework to attract private investment, emphasizing fusion’s potential to make Europe a global leader in clean energy.
“Fusion has reached a turning point. European industrial capability and private investments are converging toward deployment,” the declaration states. Lawmakers like Tsvetelina Penkova (Bulgaria), Hildegard Bentele (Germany), and Pascal Arimont (Belgium) highlighted that fusion is now a strategic opportunity to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable energy, while boosting Europe’s competitiveness.
Defining Fusion: New Rules Needed
The declaration urges the European Commission to provide guidance while allowing individual EU countries flexibility in licensing, safety standards, and permitting for fusion power plants. It also calls for fusion to be treated separately from fission in regulations, covering radiation protection, waste management, decommissioning, and liability. Clear rules, lawmakers say, are essential to attract investors willing to fund the costly but transformative technology.
Fusion vs. Fission: The Power of the Sun on Earth
Fusion works by merging small atomic nuclei, like hydrogen, to release huge amounts of energy—the same process that powers the sun. Fission, used in today’s nuclear plants, splits atoms and produces radioactive waste. Fusion promises a cleaner, safer alternative but is still in development.
The US made headlines in 2022 when scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved a controlled fusion reaction that produced more energy than it consumed—a milestone called ignition. In Europe, Germany is leading the charge, signing a €7 billion deal with RWE to build a pilot plant by 2035. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to establish a regulatory framework for fusion across Germany and the EU, criticizing past decisions to close nuclear plants and emphasizing the continent’s need for energy independence.
