The public consultation process for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) project begins in Switzerland and France

The public consultation process for the CERN-led Future Circular Collider (FCC) project will soon begin in Switzerland and France. These four months of exchanges and dialogue with the public are part of the preparations for a final decision on the project. As the CERN Council, comprising representatives of all the Organization’s Member States, prepares to update the European Strategy for Particle Physics on the basis of recommendations from the scientific community, the FCC remains a project under study for the time being, with the approval decision set to be taken in 2028 at the earliest.

If approved, the FCC would be installed in a ring-shaped underground tunnel measuring 91 km in circumference, at an average depth of 200 m beneath the Haute-Savoie and Ain departments in France and the canton of Geneva in Switzerland. It would collide electrons with their antiparticles, positrons, delivering results with an unprecedented level of precision and thus allowing the greatest mysteries of the Universe to be explored, as well as fostering innovation and the development of new technologies and skills in the coming decades. 

In the interests of transparency and to continue the dialogue between CERN and the local communities that began in 2024, two public consultation mechanisms will be implemented, according to the frameworks and practices of participatory democracy specific to CERN’s two Host States:

• In Switzerland, a consultation process under the auspices of expert third-party guarantors, from 18 May to 2 October 2026.
• In France, a public debate under the auspices of the Commission Nationale du Débat Public (CNDP), from 2 June to 1 October 2026.

The timelines for the two processes are as follows:

In Switzerland

The public consultation process in Switzerland will be officially launched on 18 May, with a presentation of the project’s challenges and how the public can get involved. Over the following weeks, consultation workshops, site visits and tours will provide numerous opportunities for people to take part. This process will run until 2 October 2026. The events, open to everyone living in Switzerland, are designed to provide information and to give the public the chance to participate in transparent dialogue about this international scientific project, the future of which is expected to be decided in 2028 at the earliest.

Practical information concerning the kick-off meeting in Switzerland:

• Date and time: Monday, 18 May, 6.30–8.30 p.m. Refreshments will be served following the meeting.
  Venue: Uni Mail, 40 Boulevard du Pont-d’Arve, Geneva

Registration via this link recommended

To find out more and have your say: https://www.concertation-fcc-cern.ch

In France

Public debates organised under the auspices of the CNDP are the most important form of public participation in France. The debate on the FCC project will run from 2 June to 1 October 2026 (see CNDP decision), with a kick-off meeting scheduled for 4 June. It will take various forms, including public meetings, workshops, round-table discussions and online participation. The public will have the opportunity to ask questions about the FCC project and to discuss its possible evolution, ahead of the final approval decision, which is expected to be taken in 2028 at the earliest.

Practical information concerning the kick-off meeting in France:

• Date and time: Thursday, 4 June, 6.00–9.00 p.m. Refreshments will be served following the meeting.
  Venue: ArchParc, 480 Rue Richard Gurley Drew, Archamps

Registration via this link

To find out more and have your say: https://www.debatpublic.fr/projet-accelerateur-particules