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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-09-03
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
03/09/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 3 septembre -
[01] Commission proposes to commit up to ECU 100 million to Chernobyl
sarcophagus
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] The Commission initiates second phase proceedings on VEBA/DEGUSSA
merger
[03] Food safety - The view from Europe
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 3 septembre -
Outcome of Commission's meeting of 3 September
[01] Commission proposes to commit up to ECU 100 million to Chernobyl
sarcophagus
The European Commission today adopted a draft Council decision allocating
up to ECU 100 million to the Chernobyl sarcophagus. This amount doubles the
EU assistance to Ukraine for Chernobyl to date (1993/1994: ECU 25 million,
1995 and 1996: ECU 37.5 million each). The proposal follows the G7 decision
in Denver in June 1997 to finance US$ 300 million of the overall US$ 750
million needed to make the sarcophagus safe. The sarcophagus covers
Chernobyl Unit 4 which melted down in April 1986 and has been found by an
international expert team to be in dire need of repairs in order to prevent
radiation leakage. The money will come from the European Union's Tacis
programme, which also financed the expert studies which led to the present
technical proposal and which has allocated ECU 505 million on nuclear
safety in the New Independent States (NIS) since its inception in 1991. The
objectives of the Tacis nuclear safety programme include: improvement of
the safety of the nuclear power plants in operation, strengthening of the
regulatory authorities. For the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant the European
Union (EU) provides also technical and financial assistance for the
decommissioning of units 1-3 (including storage of radioactive waste that
will result from decommissioning), for reducing the social impact of the
closure of Chernobyl, which still employs 4,000 people, as well as for
assisting in alleviating the consequences of the accident (involving 120
laboratories in Ukraine and 80 in the EU) and providing medical help to the
victims of the accident (including treatment of thyroid cancer in children
and rebuilding a children's hospital).
(for more info. : IP/97/770 + MEMO 76 - L. van der Laan - tel: 295.30.69 -
fax: 296.79.12)
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] The Commission initiates second phase proceedings on VEBA/DEGUSSA
merger
The European Commission has decided to continue its investigations into the
proposed merger by which VEBA AG (Veba) intends to acquire control over
Degussa AG (Degussa). Both companies are active in a large variety of
business fields. However, the only overlap in their activities is the area
of chemical products. In this area, the Commission has competition concerns
relating to different markets.
(for more information : IP/97/771 - W. Hélin - tel: 295.75.22 - fax:
295.14.13)
[03] Food safety - The view from Europe
Addressing a Conference on Food Safety which is taking place in Westminster,
the Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Franz Fischler
said that while respecting its' international obligations the European
Union must have the right to take any action necessary to protect the
health of our consumers. He went on to say that it is in the interest of
primary producers, processors, distributors, retailers and final consumers
that food safety rules and standards are consistent, coherent and
transparent and announced that work on achieving this objective is already
well advanced. In addition to good manufacturing practices, Mr Fischler
said that action is also necessary at farm level to ensure micro-organisms
are excluded from the food chain and added that a proper reporting system
on food borne diseases be established so that food legislation can be
adapted rapidly to the hazards occurring at any given time. Current
official inspection systems at national level are often not adapted to the
problems and risks of today but rather are focusing too much on problems
which were common decades ago, and added that emerging hazards should be
addressed by the development of efficient risk assessment techniques and
inspection procedures adapted to current risks. Embargo: 3 Septembre 1997 -
12.30
(for more information : SPEECH/97/167 - tel : 295.31.27 - fax: 296.42.84)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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