WRITTEN QUESTION P-0594/98 by Luigi Florio (PPE) to the Commission (23 February 1998)

Subject: Nuclear radiation risks for European citizens

The European Union is getting ready to participate in the funding (ECU 100 million out of a total of about ECU 650 million) of the new Chernobyl 'tomb' which should provide the guarantees of safety for man and nature that the present tomb does not.

Has the Commission ever tried to establish scientifically what link there is between the increase in the spread of cancer throughout Europe and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster?

Does the Commission not consider it to be its duty, as well as useful, to propose a European programme to protect citizens against the possible danger of contagion from old and new nuclear radiation?

What action has the Commission taken since 1986 to ensure that the European population is better prepared than it was at the time of Chernoby to defend itself in the event of a further nuclear incident?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (24 March 1998)

Following the Chernobyl accident, the Commission launched an epidemiological survey of the incidence of childhood leukaemia in Europe, with particular reference to that accident. The study started in October 1988. An expert panel was also convened to assess the probabilities of radiation induced health effects in the Community. In its final report (EUR 12551, 1990), the panel concluded that childhood leukaemia was the only realistic health hazard to be considered. A study, which existed then, now known as European childhood leukaemia incidence study (ECLIS) was enlarged to include all Member States and Central European Countries holding reliable data with regard to childhood cancer incidence. That epidemiological study is still ongoing.

By the early 1990s, an unexpected increase of childhood thyroid cancers was observed in Belarus and the Ukraine. The Commission sent an expert panel to Belarus to investigate the reported increase and published a confirmatory report (EUR 15248) in 1993. Two collaborative projects including scientists from Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine dealing with diagnostic procedures and treatment of patients were immediately started, and continue. Humanitarian aid (ECHO) and technical assistance (TACIS) have been provided.

The Commission believes that, within the Community, no health effects can be causally linked to radioactive deposition following the accident. However, a few publications refer to regional increases of infant leukaemia. The very low number of cases involved do not permit causal relations to be derived. Indeed, the International agency for research on cancer (IARC) has informed the Commission that, certainly at this time, there is no scientific evidence of an increase of cancer related to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Community.

As regards historic and new radioactive contamination of the environment, Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty has always required Member States to establish the facilities necessary to carry out continuous monitoring and to ensure compliance with the Community basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation. Moreover, the Commission is empowered to verify the operation and efficiency of such facilities. Under the terms of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty the monitoring results are periodically communicated to the Commission which publishes regular reports showing the levels of contamination. The basic safety standards, against which these levels have to be assessed, were first adopted in 1959 since when they have been subject to a number of revisions to take account of the latest scientific knowledge. The most recent such revision was made in 1996 (Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 ((OJ L 159, 29.6.1996. ))). The results demonstrate that the present system serves to ensure the population is protected against radiation exposure. The current arrangements will continue to be enforced and there is no justification for any additional European programme such as suggested.

Moreover, since the Chernobyl accident significant steps have been taken to ensure appropriate measures to protect the public in the event of any future serious accident. The measures include provision for the rapid exchange of information between Member States and the Commission (Council Decision 87/600/Euratom of 14 December 1987 ((OJ L 371, 30.12.1987. ))), predefined limits on the radioactive contamination of foodstuffs which can be rapidly brought into force if necessary and thereafter revised to take account of the particular situation (Council Regulation Euratom/87/3954 of 22 December 1987 ((OJ L 371, 30.12.1987. ))) and information to the public (Directive 89/618/Euratom of 27 November 1989 ((OJ L 357, 7.12.1989. ))). In addition the 1996 basic safety standards set out in much greater detail the provisions to be made by Member States for dealing with any future accident.

A number of relevant projects were also launched in the framework of the radiation protection research programme. In particular, some 20 East and West European countries are now involved with the development of the Real-time on-line decision (RODOS) decision support system for off-site emergency management. The system is now being implemented in nuclear emergency centres in several countries for pre-operational use. The wider dissemination and use of RODOS will promote a more harmonised and effective response to any future accident that might affect Europe.

An inter-service group on off-site emergency preparedness (OSEP) was established within the Commission in 1995 with the objectives not only to co-ordinate and provide for improvements to emergency preparedness in Eastern Europe but also to improve arrangements for information exchange within Eastern Europe and with the Community to enable timely response to any future accident. With funding from TACIS, PHARE and ECHO some ten or more projects have been launched to respond to these objectives and others are in preparation.