WithregardtotheNilecrocodile,farmingisfocusedontheproductionofleatherandmeataswellasfor
exhibitionasisthecaseinotherpartsoftheworld.
Forallthreespeciesitisalsoforeseentocoverdemandsforeducationalandresearchpurposes.Theproject
will increase current knowledge on the biology ofthese species, embryology, nutrition, reproduction,pathologyinparticularparasiticdiseasesetc.…
Overall,farmingofthesespeciescancontributetorestoreandmaintainthreatenedspeciesandtoreduce
theillegallycaughtanimalseitherlocallyorinthirdcountries.
Inaddition,ifeconomicalviable,itcouldbeanalternativeforruraldevelopmentinparticularinmore
deprivedareasoftheUnionanddevelopingcountriesasithasbeenthecaseforotherspecies(ostriches,frogs,fish,crustaceans,molluscs,etc.).
TheCommissionunderstandstheconcernsoftheHonourableMemberwithregardtotrade.Thetradeof
these species and their products is subject to national, Community and international legislation, inparticulartheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies(CITES),whichisimplementedthroughCouncilRegulation(EC)No338/97of9December1997ontheprotectionofspeciesofwildfauna and flora by regulating trade therein(
1) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1808/2001 of
30August2001layingdowndetailedrulesconcerningtheimplementationofCouncilRegulation(EC)No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein(
2). This
legislationincludesdetailedprovisionsregardingcaptive-bredspecimensinordertopreventfraudulent
tradeinwild-collectedanimals.
Moreinformationontheprojectcouldbefoundonthewebsite:(http://www.unex.es/biomed/ric).
(1) OJL61,3.3.1997.
(2) OJL250,19.9.2001.
(2004/C58E/173) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2353/03
byHiltrudBreyer(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(16July2003)
Subject:PaksNuclearPowerPlantinHungary
TheaccidentatthePaksNuclearPowerPlant(Hungary)occurredon10April2003andhasbeenrated
Level3/dashaseriousincident/dashbytheInternationalNuclearEventScale(INES).Theeventcausedthereleaseofradioactivityintotheenvironment.AccordingtoHungariansources,thesituationisnotbetternow/dash7weeksaftertheincident/dashsincethepositionofthedamagedfuelassembliesandtheuraniumpelletswhichhavefallentothebottomofthecleaningcontainerisstillnotknown.(Therewere3,5tonnesoffuelbeingcleanedatthetimeoftheincident.)ItseemsthatthevalidityoftheinspectionsundertakenbythePaksNPPitselfandfollowedbytheHungarianAtomicEnergyAgency(HAEA)aredoubtful.
On22MaytheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)announcedthatanindependentevaluationof
the event would be undertaken. According to the communications of the IAEA and the HungarianGovernment,theIAEAwillonlyoverseethealreadyexisting/dashabovementioned/dashdocuments,andwillbasetheirfindingsonthoseinsteadofstartinganewinvestigationofthewholeproblem.
Inthelightofthis:
/dash WillrepresentativesoftheEuropeanCommissionbepartofthedelegationreviewingtheaccidentand
itsconsequences?
/dash WilltheCommissionreportbacktotheParliamentontheoutcomeoftheIAEA’smission?C58E/160 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
/dash HastheCommissionassessedorwillitassesswhatlessonscanbelearnedfromtheaccidentonthe
roleoftheregulatoranditsrelationshipwiththenuclearindustry?DidtheCommissionmakeanyrecommendations for a clear division of tasks in terms of nuclear safety, civil protection andindependenceoftheregulatorduringthenuclearpartofthenegotiations?
/dash Theaccidentoccurredduringthecleaningof30uraniumfuelassembliesusingequipmentsuppliedby
FramatomeANP.HastheCommissionrequestedinformationfromFramatomeastowhatlessonsithaslearnedfromtheaccidentanditsimpactonsimilarproceduresinMemberStates?
/dash Has the Commission requested any independent monitoring of the environmental impact of the
releaseofradioactivematerialduringtheaccident?
AnswergivenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(9September2003)
TheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(AIEA)undertookanexpertreviewmissiontoinvestigatethe
10April2003fuel-cleaningincidentatthePaksnuclearpowerplant.Theteamwascomposedofnuclearand radiation safety experts fromthe IAEA, three Member States (Austria, Finland, United Kingdom),Canada, Slovakia and the United States of America. The mission started on 10June 2003 and wascompletedby25June2003.TheCommissionwasnotpartofthemission.
ThedraftofthefindingsofthemissionandtheirrecommendationshasbeengiventotheHungarian
AtomicEnergyAuthorityinvitingfactualcomments.ThefinalreportbythemissionwasduetobehandedtotheHungarianGovernment.TheHungarianGovernmentintendstomakethefinalreportavailabletothepublic.
Onthebasisofthecurrentacquis,theCommissionisnotformallycalledupontoassesslessonslearned
fromsuchincidentsinnuclearplants/dasheitherinsideoroutsidetheUnion.However,oncethereportoftheIAEAmissionisavailableitwillbecarefullyexaminedbytheCommissiontoassesswhatlessonscouldbelearnedfromtheincidentandtherolesofthedifferentpartiesinvolved.Ifitwouldbeusefultoholdbilateraldiscussionsonthesubjectwithanyoftheparties,theCommissionwillseektodoso.
Concerningreleaseofradioactivematerial,initsreportonnuclearsafetytotheCouncil,theHungarian
Governmentgavedetailsoftheairborneradioactivityonthedayoftheincidentandforthefollowing16days.InitsPressReleaseonitsmission,theIAEAnotedthat,concerningradiationprotection,theyagreedwiththePaksandHungarianregulatoryauthority’sassessmentthattheannualdoselimitsforthegeneralpublichadnotbeenexceededasaresultofthesereleases.
(2004/C58E/174) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2355/03
byProinsiasDeRossa(PSE)totheCommission
(16July2003)
Subject:Publicawarenessofnaturalandman-madehazards
On5February2003,theCommissionissuedaworkingdocument,‘Improvementofpublicawarenessand
safetyinthefaceofnaturalandman-madehazards’,forameetingofinterestedstakeholdersinthisissueon28February2003.
On 7May 2003,the Commissionissued a listofcontributions it had received fromMember States,
regionalandlocalauthorities,accessioncountries,NGOsandotherinstitutionsbytheendofApril2003inresponsetoitsworkingdocument.6.3.2004EN C58E/161 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion