WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2867/97 by Jesús CABEZÓN ALONSO to the Commission. Analysis and cooperation in the field of employment
Date: 1997-09-11
Institutions: CABEZON ALONSO, European Parliament
Subjects: EC Decision, EU action, EU programme, employment policy, labour market, proposal (EU)

C 102/140

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

3. 4. 98

Does the Commission consider that following the EBRD decision, Euratom(cid:146)s loan for the completion of the two
power stations should also be dropped?

Does it share my view that no new investment in one of the two power stations should be made until the EBRD
has decided whether it will provide a loan for its completion?

If the EBRD also withdraws from the part-financing of the completion of one of the two power stations, will the
Commission then follow that decision?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 1997)

The information available to the Commission does not confirm that the European bank for reconstruction and
development (EBRD) has decided against participating in the completion of the Rovno 4 and Khmelnitsky 2
nuclear power plants. The EBRD is still investigating the economic aspects of the project. The Commission for
its part is also continuing the preparation of the Euratom loan for the project.

The Commission remains committed to the full implementation of the memorandum of understanding aimed at
the closure of Chernobyl by the year 2000 and obviously will take into account all relevant aspects in its decision
on the project financing. This will include the availability of the necessary complementary financing by the other
financial  institutions,  such  as  the  EBRD,  the  need  to  seek  guarantees  for  completion  of  the  two  reactors  to
international acceptable safety standards and the overall need to obtain closure of Chernobyl, especially in the
light of a recent report from independent experts confirming the unsafe state of Unit 3 which at present is still in
operation.

(98/C 102/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2867/97

by Jesu· s Cabezo·n Alonso (PSE) to the Commission

(11 September 1997)

Subject: Analysis and cooperation in the field of employment

The  amended  proposal  for  a  decision  on  the  EC(cid:146)s  activities  of  analysis  and  cooperation  in  the  field  of
employment (the ESSEN programme) does not yet appear to have been adopted despite the efforts of the Dutch
Presidency.

Is it likely that the proposal will be adopted before the extraordinary European Council on employment?

What effects will the delay have on the joint report on employment which is due to be debated by the European
Council in December at the close of the Luxembourg Presidency?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(20 October 1997)

The amended proposal for a Council Decision on Commission activities of analysis, research, cooperation and
action in the field of employment (1) is currently still under discussion in the Council.

The Commission can give no formal undertaking as to when this proposal will be adopted, but it would appear
that sufficient progress is being made on this matter in the Council to give grounds for hope that it will soon be
resolved.

The  Commission  would  point  out  to  the  Honourable  Member  that,  in  the  past,  it  has  been  able  to  fund  its
research,  analysis and cooperation measures  in the  area of  employment,  albeit  out  of limited resources. This
delay will therefore have only minor repercussions on the work concerning the joint report to be presented to the
European Council in December. If the Council were not to adopt the Decision, the situation would become far
more difficult from 1998 onwards.

(1)  COM(95) 250, as amended by COM(96) 449.