[en] As the second phase of the Finnish nuclear waste research program financed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry was coming to an end, the Ministry set up a working group for the planning of a new program phase. The group was to consider the need for nuclear waste research to support the regulatory activities, draw up a draft of a framework plan for the program, and make suggestions on the management of the program. The opinions of the working group are presented in the report. The working group estimates that the environmental-impact evaluation process and the consideration of the decision in principle needed on the spent-fuel final disposal facility may take place during the next program phase. To achieve this, more intensive information activities are required from the authorities, especially in cooperation with the municipalities thought to be potential hosts of the final disposal facility. Publicly financed nuclear waste research should support these activities for example by commissioning independent evaluations on the societal effects of final disposal and by preparing popular material on the safety aspects of final disposal. In the goal setting of the research on technological and natural science aspects the approaching first licensing stage of spent-fuel final disposal should be taken into account. Special preference should be given to projects which improve the expertise of the authorities on the essential safety issues of final disposal. Compared to the ongoing phase, the working group does not suggest any major changes to the management of the research program. The proposed duration of the next program phase is five years