Research reactor fuel cycle: Front- and back-end

Front-end: Sources for a safe supply of uranium for Research Reactors has been secured beyond the year 2000. Stocks of all different kinds and forms of uranium are available in the market. The quality ranges from fresh and slightly irradiated to reprocessed uranium. Back-end: Since US-DOE settled its new 10 (13) years Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Return Policy ('Fuel Return Policy - FRP') in May 1996 several return shipments from overseas were made without notable disturbances. Since then, Research Reactor operators seem to rely on this route and will probably return as much spent fuel as possible in this given time frame. National and international effects of this successful US policy are considered. (author)