A nuclear-waste reprocessing programme intended to promote a global expansion of atomic energy should be abandoned in favour of basic research, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reports this week.

The report underscores many of the criticisms that have been levelled at the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership since it was unveiled by the White House in 2006, namely that it is too risky and expensive for commercial-scale development.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking $405 million for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership for the 2008 fiscal year, but key Democrats have vowed to put the brakes on it this year. ?It seems to the committee that the DOE has given more weight to schedule than to conservative economics and technology,? the NAS panel says in its 29 October report.