INFCE - essential results and consequences

The results of INFCE are summarized. The conference was organized because there had been agreement that its results would not be legally binding upon the 66 countries and 5 international organizations participating, but only constitute recommendations for national energy policies. After some basic statements and a description of some results of the study, such as the availability of nuclear fuels; uranium enrichment; long-term guarantees of the availability of technology, fuel and heavy water; reprocessing; plutonium handling; fuel recycling; fast breeders; spent fuel management; waste treatment and final storage; advanced fuel cycles and reactor concepts, the author makes a first evaluation: The study in general had not confirmed U.S. efforts seeking postponement. Instead, it had supported the German non-proliferation policy, which integrates countries into existing international control systems instead of depriving them of supplies of nuclear materials and, in this way, of the peaceful uses of such materials. (HSCH)