CALL FOR EVIDENCE FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment)
This document aims to inform the public and stakeholders about the Commission's work, so they can provide feedback and participate effectively in consultation activities.
Title of the initiative	Commission Communication on the EU Fusion Strategy
Lead DG – responsible unit	DG ENER – Unit D.4 ITER Co-leading EC services: DG RTD – Unit C.4 Euratom Research
Likely Type of initiative	Other - New
Indicative Timing	Q4 2025
Additional Information	Study on the applicability of the regulatory framework for nuclear facilities to fusion facilities: towards a specific regulatory framework for fusion facilities: final report, 2022, European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy, DOI:10.2833/787609 Foresight study on the worldwide developments in advancing fusion energy, including the small scale private initiatives, 2023, European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy,DOI:10.2833/967945 Analysis on a strategic public-private partnership approach to foster innovation in fusion energy, Final report, 2023, European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy, DOI:10.2833/323326 The High-Level European Round Table on Fostering Fusion Innovation on 14 March 2024, DIO:10.2777/621539 The EU blueprint for fusion energy on 23 April 2024, The EU blueprint for fusion energy EU Fusion Business Forum on 3 July 2024, EU Fusion Business Forum - European Commission Fusion Expert Group Opinion Paper, Towards the EU Fusion Strategy, 2025, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, DOI:10.2777/3510421
This document is for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described by this document, including its timing, are subject to change.

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

Both the Clean Industrial Deal 1 and the Affordable Energy Action Plan 2 commit the Commission to propose an EU fusion strategy, with the aim to accelerate commercialisation of fusion as an innovative, decarbonised energy source for the future. The Draghi report 3 recommended developing an overarching EU innovation strategy for nuclear fusion energy leveraging the ITER project, while supporting the creation of a public-private partnership to promote its rapid, economically viable commercialization. Additionally, fusion technology falls in the category of innovative technologies whose faster development is advocated in A Competitiveness Compass for the EU 4 .

The European Commission plans to put forward an EU fusion strategy, capitalising on EU world-class fusion expertise and facilities, built up in Europe over decades, and creating an environment that supports start-ups and stimulate investments through public-private partnership, harmonizing regulatory approaches in the EU and establishing effective decision-making process for an effective development of fusion technologies and their commercialization.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

The key problems the initiative aims to tackle are:

Need for clean and sustainable energy sources in the future

The EU energy market needs to develop and deploy clean energy sources as fast as possible to support prosperity and energy security, as well as to ensure long term sustainability of the planet’s decarbonisation. Fusion power represents a promising solution as a sustainable clean energy source in the longer term, but there are several steps to be taken for reaching commercial production of electricity from fusion power.

Increasing global competition in fusion / Need to increase European private sector engagement

For decades, the EU has been supporting fusion research with the ultimate goal of building fusion power plants in the future. The EU leads an international collaborative project ITER, whose objective is to prove the technical and scientifical feasibility of fusion as an energy source. Furthermore, the EU promotes fusion research through its Euratom Research and Training Programme, focusing on the development of key fusion-related technologies, preparation for operation of a materials-testing facility, training and education activities, etc. Recent years brought worldwide the development of fusion-enabling technologies and important breakthroughs in fusion science, together with the acceleration of competition and of private investments in fusion technology, mainly in the US. EU private sector’s involvement should be fostered.

Lack of enabling regulatory framework in the EU

At present, there is no uniform approach to regulation of fusion facilities in the EU and the European secondary legislation does not address specific requirements for fusion facilities. An EU fusion strategy addressing this issue would assure effective and harmonized application of appropriate safety requirements in the EU and facilitate the deployment of the technology.

Risk of falling behind non-EU countries that already have a fusion strategy

Several countries outside the EU have recently published their fusion strategies, e.g., the UK Towards fusion energy in 2021 and its update in 2023, the Japan’s Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy (2023), the US DoE Fusion Energy Strategy 2024. In Europe, France established in 2023 its “France 2030” programme, while Germany published in 2024 its Fusion 2040 Funding Programme.

An EU fusion strategy coordinating actions of the different EU stakeholders and providing clarity for the private sector would allow the EU (i) to maintain and strengthen its technological leadership, (ii) to ensure EU’s market competitiveness, and (iii) to provide regulatory certainty.

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check)

Legal basis

The legal basis for this initiative is the Euratom Treaty, namely its Chapter 1 on Promotion of Research, Chapter 3 on Health and Safety, Chapter 5 on Joint Undertakings and Chapter 10 on External Relations.

Practical need for EU action

An EU-wide strategy, leveraging both national and EU programmes, is essential to maintaining Europe’s leadership and competitive advantage in fusion technology, to incentivize the EU private sector, facilitate research and technology innovation and know-how transfer from research to the industrial community, review options for an EU legal framework for fusion safety and create an EU-level governance to foster collaboration and ensure alignment among stakeholders on clear pathways, defined technologies, and timelines towards commercialization of fusion technology.

B. What does the initiative aim to achieve and how

The strategy will aim to:

1.Identify actions to take full advantage of EU’s leading role in the ITER project. Especially, the EU should build upon the technologies and lessons learned generated during ITER design and construction and maximize EU benefits in ITER operations,

2.Formulate a clear pathway to a pilot Fusion Power Plant (FPP); address critical strategic technological gaps, such as breeding of tritium, or the plasma facing components and materials. This pathway should permit streamlining and rationalizing the initiatives in the EU and should be supported by a European Fusion Roadmap,

3.Build a competitive industrial ecosystem, engage the private sector, and encourage investments through: establishing a public-private partnership and a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, creating a funding mechanism for start-ups in collaboration with the European Innovation Council (EIC), and expanding other funding opportunities,

4.Develop a Workforce Strategy to attract, train, and retain a skilled fusion workforce — including scientists, engineers, and technicians,

5.Mobilize and develop the European fusion supply chain for the development of pilot Fusion Power Plant(s), to be led by the private sector and address critical strategic issues e.g., the shortage of essential fuel sources such as tritium and the enrichment of lithium-6,

6.Prepare and implement an enabling regulatory framework for fusion facilities within the EU to provide predictability and simplify market to European constructors, operators and regulators,

7.Strengthen international collaborations based on a clear strategic interest and mutual benefits.

8.Establish effective fusion governance and decision-making process at the EU level.

Likely impacts

The adoption of an EU fusion strategy, with EU’s leading participation in ITER as its cornerstone, will pave the fastest possible way to the fusion energy commercialisation, by which it will address the following sustainable development goals: affordable and clean energy; workforce development and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; and climate action.

Future monitoring

Following the publication of the Communication on the EU fusion strategy and the feedback from EU Institutions, Member States and stakeholders, a detailed action plan with KPIs and milestones will be prepared. The services involved in the fusion strategy (DG ENER and DG RTD) will be in charge of its monitoring, under the supervision of the Governance defined in point 8 above.

C. Better regulation

Impact assessment

The strategy will be published as a Commission Communication and as such does not require an impact assessment. This is not a legislative proposal.

Consultation strategy

The purpose of this call for evidence is to gather additional information from research stakeholders, industry and start-ups as well as private investors for better definition of the actions to be proposed in the fusion strategy. There is an ongoing consultation of representatives of the EU Member States through the Fusion Expert Group (FEG) established in 2024.

Other fusion relevant stakeholders were consulted through previously organised events (Fostering Fusion Innovation: High-Level European Roundtable (14 March 2024, Brussels), The EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy conference organised by DG ENER (23 April 2024, Strasbourg), The EU Fusion Business Forum (3-4 July 2024, Berlin)).

Consultation of the EU fusion community through its leading experts in the fusion domain and industry should be organised in 2025 on milestones and timeline of the EU Fusion Roadmap implementing the EU fusion strategy.

Why we are consulting?

Consultations aim at understanding the current technical, scientific or financial hurdles on the path to commercial fusion. With this understanding, the most effective actions can be defined.

Target audience

Consultations, including this call for evidence, will be carried out with public research organizations, with private organizations (industry, startups), as well as with Member State representatives. As benchmark, consultations will also be carried out in countries which have already defined a Fusion Strategy (e.g. US, UK, Japan).