European Parliament Holds its First Debate on Fusion Energy
On 20 January, the European Parliament Plenary held its first debate on fusion energy titled “Powering Europe’s Future – Advancing the Fusion Industry for Energy Independence and Innovation.” It focused on the need for Europe to remain a leader in fusion energy on the global stage, competitiveness concerns, research and innovation, public-private partnerships, the multinational ITER project, and commercialization prospects.
The European Commission’s statement was very clear: “Fusion is no longer a research subject; it is becoming an industrial challenge with an immense potential for Europe’s industry, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy, especially if we achieve its commercialization and scale up in Europe in the next decade.”
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the potential that fusion energy has for providing clean, reliable, secure, and affordable energy. To foster this transformative sector and reap the benefits of years and expertise built off of the ITER project, French MEP Christophe Grudler of the liberal Renew Group emphasized that Europe needs a “strategy for fusion, it must define clear targets, fund research and encourage private investment, and finally an adapted legal framework with safety measures that are specific to fusion.”
Other MEPs, including German MEP Hildegard Bentele from the center-right European People’s Party, the largest group in the European Parliament, highlighted the need for more support for fusion startups via “better cooperation between research and industry, new public-private partnerships and reliable financial support,” noting the differences between the massive support that the private fusion sector benefits from in countries such as the US and China compared to the European Union.
The FIA welcomes this debate on fusion in the European Parliament, recognizing its role in elevating this important topic on the political agenda, and looks forward to more exchanges on strategies to accelerate fusion energy commercialization in the European Union.
You can watch the recording of the debate below.
