The public consultation phase of CERN’s proposed future circular collider project has begun in Switzerland and France, marking a major step in the long-term evaluation of what could become the world’s largest particle physics facility.
The consultation will run from May to October 2026 and aims to gather feedback from the public before a final approval decision is made.
CERN acknowledged that its future circular collider is still under research and a formal decision on whether to proceed is not expected until 2028.
The project is currently being evaluated as part of a broader update of the European Particle Physics Strategy, which will guide the continent’s long-term research priorities.
If approved, the future circular collider would be built in 91 kilometers of underground tunnels beneath parts of eastern France and western Switzerland.
Scientists say the machine could unlock new insights into the structure of matter and the origins of the universe, while also spurring advances in engineering, computing and energy technologies.
What is the circular collider of the future?
The proposed future Circular Collider, often referred to as FCC, would replace CERN’s existing Large Hadron Collider near Geneva.
The new machine will be installed approximately 200 meters underground in the French departments of Haute-Savoie and Ain, and in the Swiss canton of Geneva.
Unlike the Large Hadron Collider’s original focus on proton collisions, the FCC’s initial planning stages were to collide electrons and positrons. The researchers believe this approach will allow them to more accurately measure fundamental particles, including the Higgs boson.
CERN claims that its future circular collider could help answer unanswered questions in modern physics, such as the nature of dark matter and the origin of the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe.
Switzerland launched earlier this month
In Switzerland, the public consultation process will officially begin on May 18, 2026 and continue until October 2. The consultation will be overseen by an independent guarantor tasked with ensuring transparency and fairness throughout the process.
Residents will be able to participate through workshops, public discussions, guided tours, and site visits related to the proposed future circular collider. CERN said its aim was to provide clear information while allowing communities to voice concerns and ask questions directly.
The consultation is part of a broader effort to maintain dialogue with residents after initial engagement activities begin in 2024.
France holds national public debate
In France, a consultation on future circular collider will be held under the supervision of the National Debate Commission (CNDP), the country’s independent body that discusses major public infrastructure matters.
The French debate will be held from June 2 to October 1, 2026, with the opening session scheduled for June 4. This process will include town hall meetings, workshops, roundtable discussions, and online participation.
French residents will have the opportunity to ask questions of CERN representatives and discuss how the project could develop before a final decision is made.
Decision expected to be made by 2028
Despite the start of the consultation phase, CERN stressed that the future circular collider has not yet been approved. The project remains part of an ongoing scientific and political review involving CERN member states.
The organization’s governing council is expected to consider recommendations from the European particle physics community before deciding whether to proceed with construction.
If the project is approved, the Future Circular Collider will be one of the most ambitious scientific infrastructure projects ever attempted in Europe, and is expected to take decades to construct and operate.
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