ABSTRACT
Elements are enumerated for a new international consensus in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Such a new consensus seems a necessary condition for an effective long-term non-proliferation policy. Measures must be taken both to increase technically the proliferation-resistance of the nuclear fuel cycle and to make the misuse of peaceful nuclear energy politically more difficult by the establishment of institutional barriers. Except in fast breeder research, the large-scale use of plutonium should preferably be avoided for the coming decades. Thermal recycle should be halted while the amount of reprocessing should be adapted to needs. An international plutonium storage regime needs to be established to pave the way for universal nuclear export conditions, agreed to by both suppliers and recipients. Such a set of requirements should not include the demand for prior consent with respect to reprocessing. Sensitive parts of the fuel cycle, such as enrichment and reprocessing, could be multilateralized; countries would need to accept more intrusive safeguards. Assured fuel supply systems must be further developed.
