Potential interface issues in spent fuel management

All phases of a fuel cycle raise particular challenges. They include not only maintaining flexibility to accommodate therange of potential future spent fuel disposition options, but also defining and addressing the relevant issues in storage and transport, given the uncertainties regarding storage duration, the availability of future technologies and future financial, regulatory and political conditions. Taking the holistic view of the nuclear fuel cycle ensures that influence from, and impacts on, all phases of the cycle are clearly understood. The general view facilitates effective decisionmaking in the back end of the fuel cycle (BEFC). It is therefore important to establish interfaces and any potential issues which can impact on BEFC. This publication is an output of a series of meetings to identify and evaluate issuesand opportunities associated with interfaces in BEFC and to describe effective management approaches based on the experince of the Member States.