FCC at CERN: an initiative to give the people of Geneva a voice
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A campaign group insists that the public must have their say on all major projects linked to the European Organization for Nuclear Research’s CERN research facility in Switzerland.
The group launched a Geneva cantonal constitutional initiative and criticised the recent consultation on the Future Circular Collider (FCC) as “biased” and a “denial of democracy”.
“It is about regaining control at local and democratic levels,” said parliamentarian Christina Meissner. “The State Council has handed over all power to the Confederation and deprived us of it.”
The FCC has been placed under federal control, on a par with airport planning or military infrastructure. However, cantonal powers in the field of building law could very well have been applied, according to parliamentarian Raphaël Mahaim.
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Members of the Co-CERNés coalition include Noé21, Swiss Heritage Geneva, WWF Geneva, the Presinge Association for a Future without the FCC, Seymaz-Vie and Bien Vivre à Puplinge. These organisations believe that the FCC will undermine the sustainable policies adopted by the Grand Council and the local population.
Similar mechanisms
According to the initiative, any cantonal consultation on construction and infrastructure projects linked to CERN that require a permit should be put to a public vote. The advisory result would then form the canton’s position.
Mahaim cannot imagine that the Federal Council, or the other members of CERN, would simply “sit back” in the face of a democratic rejection. Similarly, he does not “believe for a second” that the initiative will be declared invalid. Similar mechanisms exist, notably in the canton of Vaud with regard to nuclear power.
The FCC is set to become the largest construction site in Europe, according to the coalition. It will onvolve thousands of heavy goods vehicles on the roads for ten years, millions of tonnes of rubble to be dumped, arable land being sacrificed and more than 100 km of underground construction sites.
No decision before 2028
They also raise concerns about the volumes of cooling water and greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity consumption would be equivalent to that of a city with several hundred thousand inhabitants, according to the petition organisers.
The FCC is a proposed 91-kilometre-long particle accelerator project, intended to succeed the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2045. Costs are estimated at CHF15 billion, but opponents believe they will double.
CERN, for its part, is promoting the project as a world-leading facility. The decision will rest with the institution’s 25 member states in May 2028, barring any postponement.
The signatures for the initiative – 5,696 to meet the threshold – are expected to be submitted in mid-February 2027. Supporters admit that the timetable will be tight for a referendum to take place before CERN’s decision.
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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
