The European Commission has adopted a 2026 – 2027 work programme under the Euratom Research and Training Programme that sets out €330 million in EU funding for fusion energy research and a range of nuclear technologies and skills.
Most of the funding, €222 million, is earmarked for fusion — a form of nuclear power that generates energy by fusing light atoms together — as the EU works towards connecting its first commercial fusion power plant to the electricity grid, the Commission announced on Thursday.
The work programme includes plans to set up a new European public-private partnership for fusion energy to develop “commercially viable” technologies and build a European supply chain.
It also includes support for fusion-related projects under the European Innovation Council, a EU scheme that backs high-risk innovation, with the aim of helping fusion start-ups develop their technology and attract private investment.
Funding for fission, waste, and nuclear medicine
The remaining €108 million is allocated to nuclear fission research, including work on radioactive waste management, radiation protection, and new nuclear materials, the Commission said.
Research will also cover the safety of long-term operation of existing nuclear power plants, as well as small modular reactors — smaller-scale nuclear reactors — advanced reactors, and nuclear fuels.
The programme will fund research in nuclear medicine to improve the EU’s ability to supply medical isotopes used in new therapies.
It also includes measures to develop and attract nuclear expertise, including through Marie Sklodowska-Curie grants, and will provide open access to more than 230 nuclear research facilities across the EU.
Ukrainian nuclear researchers will be further integrated into the European Research Area — the EU framework for cross-border research cooperation — under the programme.
