WRITTEN QUESTION E-1375/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(15 April 2003)

Subject: Radioactive contamination of mineworkers in Shinkolobwe heterogenite mines

According to various international media sources, young Congolese in Shinkolobwe in the Democratic Republic of Congo are mining the radioactive cobalt ore heterogenite, without protection. The ore lies in former uranium mines, which, following their closure, were covered with concrete by the then Union Minière in order to protect the surrounding area against radioactive contamination from the mines.

However, under the government of Kabila the mines were re-opened in order to mine the cobalt ore heterogenite, a cheap raw material for cobalt which is very competitive on the world market. The ore is being mined by young people working under conditions which they describe as slavery. Furthermore, Alex Stewart, a specialist company providing laboratory services to the mining industry, has found a high concentration of the highly radioactive uranium-235 in steels from Shinkolobwe. That means that not only mineworkers are at risk, but also people living near sites where the ores are stored, including in the town of Lisaki where tonnes of the uranium-containing ore lie piled up.

Is the Commission aware of the situation in Shinkolobwe in south-eastern Congo?

What steps can the Commission take to identify those responsible for these abuses?

What further action does the Commission intend to take to address the problem?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(11 June 2003)

The Commission is aware of the problem of unprotected young miners handling radioactive substances at Shinkolobwe, and of the effects of radioactivity on the entire population living in the vicinity of the mine. This is part of the wider problem of failure to manage the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is the State, through Gécamines, that owns the Shinkolobwe uranium mine which has been officially closed since 1969. However, the fact that wildcatters operate on the site is an open secret.

It has to be borne in mind that the DRC is only just emerging from a long period of warfare which has totally laid waste the country's society, economy and institutions. It is therefore having to deal with fundamental structural problems such as restoring its territorial integrity, re-establishing the administration and setting up functioning state structures that are capable of managing the transition to lasting stability and of raising the human development standard of all Congolese.

It is against the background of this post-conflict situation that the Commission has identified its short- and medium-term priorities, namely:

- Support the State in rebuilding its structures. Here the Commission has committed EUR 16 million to the eighth European Development Fund (EDF), which is to provide institutional support for the key departments and ministries, whilst EUR 28 million is going from the sixth EDF to support the judicial system and a further EUR 10 million from the ninth EDF will also go towards institutional support.

- Help re-establish access to health care since, as a result of the war, 37 % of the population does not have access to primary health care and mortality is rising steadily.

Given these priorities and the limited funding available for the DRC, the Commission cannot deal with all the problems arising out of the absence of state structures. Nevertheless it hopes that, once such structures have been re-established, problems such as those at Shinkolobwe can be raised through the normal channels in relations between the European Union and the DRC. Bringing to book those responsible for failures is not part of the Commission's remit in its relations with the DRC.