Closing address

It is for me a great honour and a real personal pleasure to give this final address to the International Conference on Fast Reactor Fuel Cycles. I find it very difficult to draw simple conclusions from the various and very interesting papers delivered during these four days; particularly since I felt simultaneously confidence, hope and some sort of demoraliza-ation among the participants. One thing is certain: a long and arduous road is ahead.

Sir John Hill reminded us of the positive and impressive results already obtained in the field of the fast breeders since the first nuclear-generated kWh, 30 years ago. Only 7 years ago, in March 1974, we met in London for the Fast Breeder Conference and I had the great pleasure of saying that the Phenix demonstration plant had just reached its nominal power!