Lawmakers Push for Investment-Ready Regulations
MEPs from the European People’s Party are calling on the EU to take nuclear fusion seriously as a viable energy source and to set out a clear regulatory framework to attract investors. In a declaration released Tuesday, lawmakers argued that Europe must move beyond viewing fusion as purely experimental and provide the legal certainty needed for private and industrial investment.
“Fusion has reached a turning point. European industrial capability and private investments are converging toward deployment,” the declaration reads. Lawmakers emphasized that political support and financial mechanisms are now essential to turn fusion energy into a strategic asset for Europe.
Fusion as a Strategic Opportunity
MEPs highlighted the potential benefits of fusion energy, describing it as a way to secure a clean, reliable energy supply while strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness. Bulgaria’s Tsvetelina Penkova said the EU should stop treating fusion as just research, while Germany’s Hildegard Bentele called it “Europe’s chance to turn scientific leadership into industrial power.” Pascal Arimont from Belgium added that the goal is clear: fusion should be developed, financed, and implemented within Europe.
The lawmakers’ declaration asks the European Commission to allow member states flexibility in setting safety, licensing, and permitting rules, while clarifying that fusion should be treated separately from fission under EU regulations.
How Fusion Differs from Fission
Fusion generates energy by joining small atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen, releasing enormous amounts of power—the same process that fuels the sun. Fission, by contrast, splits larger atoms and produces radioactive waste. Fusion is cleaner and safer, but still experimental and not yet used commercially.
Recent breakthroughs, such as the 2022 achievement at the US National Ignition Facility where fusion produced more energy than the lasers used to initiate it, demonstrate the technology’s potential. Germany is leading the EU in developing fusion, with a €7 billion deal with RWE to build a pilot plant by 2035. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to establish a regulatory framework for fusion in Germany and across Europe, criticizing prior decisions to close nuclear plants.
With industrial capacity and private investment aligning, European lawmakers see fusion as a critical step toward energy independence and a competitive edge for the continent.
