This report presents the proceedings of the Technical Meeting on Improved Fuel Pellet Materials and Designs held in Brussels, Belgium, in October 2003. The meeting focused on fabrication and design tools to influence, to some extent, and ensure desirable in-pile fuel properties. Emphasis was placed on the analysis of fuel characteristics at high burnup, including thermal behaviour, fission gas retention and release, pellet–cladding interaction and pellet–cladding mechanical interaction. Specific features of large grain size UO2, MOX and urania-gadolinia fuels with and without additives were considered in detail. A CD-ROM is also included.