\n Published on
\n 27\/01\/2026 – 19:13 GMT+1\n <\/p>\n
European lawmakers issued a declaration on Tuesday urging the European Union to unlock the potential of nuclear fusion energy<\/strong><\/a>, stressing its role in boosting the bloc’s competitiveness as a future electricity source.<\/p>\n MEPs made the case during a public hearing in the European Parliament calling for a “clear, predictable regulatory framework” that would attract investment, given the astronomical costs that fusion energy will likely demand. <\/p>\n “Fusion has reached a turning point. European industrial capability and private investments are converging toward deployment. What is now required is clear political backing and effective mechanisms to attract private capital,” reads the declaration, seen by Euronews and signed by several lawmakers from the centrist European People’s Party (EPP).<\/p>\n The plea comes as the European Commission prepares to present a fusion strategy in the near future, a spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday, without revealing specific timelines.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should move from the perception that (fusion energy) is just research,\u201d said MEP Tsvetelina Penkova (Bulgaria\/EPP).<\/p>\n Lawmaker Hildegard Bentele (Germany\/EPP) said that fusion energy is “Europe\u2019s chance to turn scientific leadership into industrial power.”<\/p>\n “Fusion energy is no longer a distant vision, but a strategic opportunity to ensure a clean, safe, and reliable energy supply and to strengthen Europe\u2019s competitiveness,” said MEP Pascal Arimont (Belgium\/EPP). “Our objective must be clear: fusion energy should be developed, financed, and implemented in Europe.”<\/p>\n In the declaration, lawmakers ask the European Commission to provide guidance and to allow EU countries the flexibility to determine their own specific regulatory and safety requirements, licensing and permitting for fusion power plants.<\/p>\n “This should include clarification of the regulatory status of fusion \u2013 distinct from fission \u2013 implementing existing EU requirements for radiation protection, waste, decommissioning, and liability,” reads the declaration.<\/p>\n Fission versus fusion<\/p>\n Fusion energy, or nuclear fusion, is the limitless power source that fuels the sun and stars<\/strong><\/a>. This energy source produces energy when two small atomic nuclei merge to form a larger nucleus, releasing significant energy.<\/p>\n Where nuclear fission makes energy by splitting large atoms into smaller ones, which releases heat used to make electricity, nuclear fusion makes energy by joining small atoms like hydrogen together, releasing even more energy. <\/p>\n While fission is used in power plants today, it creates radioactive waste. Fusion is cleaner and safer, but is still being developed and is not yet used for electricity.<\/p>\n