Under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Working Group on Life Management of Nuclear Power Plants sponsors specialists meetings on radiation embrittlement and mitigation. The purpose of these international meetings is to present state-of-the-art research results in the area of radiation embrittlement, identify critical technical issues that require resolution in the international community, and officially to recommend research activities for IAEA member states in order to resolve these issues. The most recent of these international meetings was held April 1999 in Madrid. This paper discusses the specific conclusions and recommendations drawn at this most recent specialists meeting. Critical technical issues in the area of radiation embrittlement and mitigation, as identified through these specialists meetings, are discussed and summarised.