International Legal Expert Group Publish Paper on the Need for the EU to Secure Its Competitive Fusion Advantage

A discussion paper from the International Group of Legal Experts on Fusion Energy (FELEX) argues that Europe holds a competitive advantage in commercial fusion that no other region can replicate, but must act now to preserve it.

The paper highlights the Euratom Treaty as the world’s only harmonized legal framework for nuclear governance across 27 Member States, giving the EU a unique foundation for deploying commercial fusion. However, it warns that Europe’s legal framework was built for fusion research, not commercial power plants, and must evolve to support licensing, permitting, and investment as the industry moves toward deployment.

The publication comes as momentum for fusion continues to build across Europe, with fusion recognized under the Net-Zero Industry Act and €222 million allocated to fusion R&D through the 2026-2027 Euratom Work Programme.

The paper concludes that Europe has the legal foundations to lead the commercialization of fusion, but maintaining that advantage will require coordinated action before the first wave of fusion projects is deployed.

You can read the full paper below.