Education, training and knowledge management in nuclear science and technology are very high priority, topical issues for the international community, notably in the context of a prospective nuclear renaissance. There is great concern that skilled manpower in sufficient quantities, as well as adequate infrastructures for collecting and disseminating information will not be available.

The purpose of the Ad hoc Expert Group on Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining was to produce an account of the practices employed by modern uranium miners and to review up-to-date information on the health and environmental impacts of modern mining practices and regulations in all uranium producing countries.

The Ad hoc Expert Group on the Economics of Long-term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants was responsible for studying the economics of upgrading and long-term operation of nuclear power plants, for further development of nuclear development programs in NEA member countries.

The overall aim of this expert group was to produce a definitive study across NEA member countries of the costs of management and disposal of radioactive waste from the nuclear fuel cycle on a common basis.

The Ad hoc Expert Group on Trends in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (TNFC) was set up to investigate trends in the latest progress and the future trajectories in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Decommissioning activities are clearly set to increase internationally, giving rise to a sizeable market, growing in business and competition. Meanwhile, ongoing decommissioning work continue at a sustained rate in the numerous legacy sites. It is thus clear that the challenges faced by the industry in relation to decommissioning are significant, spanning technical, political, financial, social and environmental issues, and raising questions over the adequacy of the necessary expertise and infrastructure, as well as the ability to finance the costs.