Key issue papers from a symposium held in co-operation with the EC, the OEC/NEA and the Uranium Institute, 3-6 June 1997, Vienna. The purpose of the symposium was to provide a forum for discussion of the new realities facing the nuclear fuel cycle and to consider options on how these could be addressed. Amongst the new realities are the facts that: nuclear capacities have increased less than projected; the debate on the choice of the most appropriate fuel cycle is still ongoing; military stocks of weapon plutonium and highly enriched uranium have been released; and the amount of plutonium in the world is continuously increasing. The data contained in these key issue papers should assist to inform decision makers and the public and lead to a more objective discussion of the different options in the nuclear fuel cycle. Contents: Key issue paper No. 1: Global energy outlook; Key issue paper No. 2: Present status and immediate prospects of plutonium management; Key issue paper No. 3: Future fuel cycle and reactor strategies; Key issue paper No. 4: Safety, health and environmental implications of the different fuel cycles; Key issue paper No. 5: Non-proliferation and safeguards aspects; Key issue paper No. 6: International co-operation.