WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3327/97 by Jessica LARIVE to the Commission. Plutonium on board the US space probe Cassini - danger to public health
Date: 1997-10-15
Institutions: European Parliament, LARIVE
Subjects: United States, nuclear accident, peacekeeping, plutonium, public health, space vehicle

C 117/174

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 4. 98

(98/C 117/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3326/97

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE) to the Commission

(15 October 1997)

Subject: Greek Community Support Framework: the Egnatia Road and Thessaloniki Underground projects

Among the projects included in the Second Community Support Framework (CSF) for Greece (1994-1999) are
the  construction  of  the  Egnatia  Road,  a  project  of  key  strategic  importance  for  the  development  of
trans-European networks in Greece and the European Union, and the Thessaloniki Underground, a major project
intended to alleviate the serious traffic and environmental problems facing this city of over a million people. In
view  of  the  delay  in  the  take-up  by  Greece  of  CSF  funds  in  respect  of  many  development  projects  and
programmes,  the  Greek  Government  has  put  forward  proposals  for  the  transfer  of  appropriations  from  some
programmes to others. Inter alia, it has proposed transferring over Drs. 100 billion from the Egnatia Road project
and Drs. 27 billion from the Thessaloniki Underground project.

Does the Commission intend to transfer funds earmarked for the important projects in question, and if so, on
what grounds?

Given  Greece(cid:146)s  bitter  experience  that  a  project  which  is  delayed  is  never  implemented,  how  does  the
Commission view the Greek Government(cid:146)s intention to transfer funds which will essentially mean an end to the
Thessaloniki Underground project?

Given that the Egnatia Road project has already begun and is currently under way, how does the Commission
view the request for a transfer of appropriations which will delay its implementation?

Does it not agree that the proposal for the transfer of appropriations will essentially cancel out the strategic and
economic  benefit  which  would  have  resulted  from  the  completion  of  the  Egnatia  Road  during  the  five-year
period 1994-1999, which will thus be put off indefinitely?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 1997)

The Commission can confirm that it has received from the Greek authorities proposals which include the transfer
to other projects of DRA 100 billion (approximately ECU 330 million) allocated under the second Community
support  framework  (CSF)  for  the  Egnatia  main  road  and  DRA  27  billion  (approximately  ECU  90  million)
earmarked  for  the  Thessaloniki  underground  railway.  These  proposals  are  currently  being  considered  by  the
Commission and will then be discussed at the next meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the CSF.

The  Commission  set  out  its  position  on  this  transfer  of  appropriations  from  the  Thessaloniki  underground
railway project in its reply to Oral Question H-741/97 during the Question Time of Parliament’s part-session in
October 1997 (1).

With regard to the reduction in appropriations proposed for Egnatia, the Commission has already notified the
Greek  authorities  of  its  serious  reservations.  The  information  available  to  the  Commission  suggests  that  this
project could be completed under the current CSF and absorb the appropriations allocated to it.

(1)  Debates of the European Parliament (October 1997).

(98/C 117/238)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3327/97

by Jessica Larive (ELDR) to the Commission

(15 October 1997)

Subject: Plutonium on board the US space probe Cassini › danger to public health

According to the Algemeen Dagblad of 27 September 1997, the US space probe Cassini is to be launched on
13 October 1997 with 34 kg of plutonium on board. The Netherlands association for public health and peace
issues,  along  with  a  number  of  American  associations,  has  warned  that  the  risks  of  this  enterprise  are
high.
unacceptably