B4-0496, 0500, 0522 and 0551/96

Resolution on the Bakun dam

The European Parliament,

A. whereas the Malaysian Government has decided to press ahead with the construction of the controversial Bakun hydro-electric power project in Sarawak (East Malaysia),

B. whereas forest clearance and construction work have already begun,

C. whereas it has repeatedly voiced its concern at tropical deforestation and the violation of the rights of the indigenous communities in Sarawak, particularly in its resolutions of 8 July 1988 on the catastrophic environmental impact of large-scale deforestation in Sarawak (East Malaysia) ((OJ C 235, 12.9.1988, p. 196.)) and of 27 May 1993 on the human rights situation in Sarawak and the moratorium on imports of tropical hardwoods and wood products from Sarawak, Malaysia ((OJ C 176, 28.6.1993, p. 158.)),

D. whereas the Malaysian Government decided to drop the Bakun hydro-electric power project in 1990 and claimed that this was Malaysia's big sacrifice for the environment,

E. whereas this decision was reversed in 1993, in spite of large-scale public opposition to the project within Malaysia,

F. whereas the Bakun will be the largest hydro-electric power plant in South- East Asia, with one of the highest dams in the world and a reservoir covering 70,000 hectares of land (an area larger than Singapore),

G. whereas between 8,000 and 10,000 indigenous people will be displaced by the construction of the dam and their resettlement plan is very uncertain,

H. whereas forest clearance on the dam side has already begun and serious concern has been expressed about:

- the loss of biodiversity resulting from the clearance of such a large area of tropical forest,

- the downstream effects of damming such an important river network, including the effects on downstream river ecological systems and fisheries,

- the Bakun being constructed in an area prone to earthquake activity, and the failure to take warnings about reservoir-induced seismicity adequately into account,

I. whereas serious questions have been raised concerning the economic viability of the Bakun hydro-electric power project; whereas the feasibility studies for the project are not available for public inspection as they have been classified under the Official Secrets Act,

J. whereas the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been split into four separate parts with work beginning on the project before all parts have been completed,

K. whereas the EIA procedure has excluded public participation or comment prior to approval,

L. whereas the Federal Malaysian Government has passed all responsibility for the EIA to the Sarawak State Government; whereas this decision contravenes normal EIA procedures,

M. whereas a number of European companies are alleged to be considering investments in the project or are planning to bid for construction contracts,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls on the Commission's delegations in South-East Asia to pay close attention to the controversy raging over the proposed Bakun dam;

2. Calls on the Commission to review the impact of this huge hydro-electric power plant on the projects which it is supporting in Sarawak, notably those concerning forest conservation and sustainable forest management;

3. Calls on the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to consider whether the implementation of the Bakun hydro-electric power project infringes the spirit or the letter of the Biodiversity Convention;

4. Calls on the Sarawak State Government to ensure that all relevant information, including the EIAs and resettlement proposals, is readily accessible to everyone, and to engage in a full process of consultation with all representatives of indigenous communities affected by Bakun;

5. Urges potential European investors and construction companies seriously to reconsider their involvement in this project given its potentially devastating ecological and social impact;

6. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote codes of conduct for all European companies operating in third countries;

7. Requests the Council of the International Tropical Timber Organisation to assess the impact of this project on the commitment made by Sarawak to manage its forests in a sustainable manner;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Council of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the Federal Government of Malaysia and the State Government of Sarawak.