WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3953/98 by Nuala AHERN EURATOM's budget for 1999
Date: 1999-01-04
Institutions: AHERN, European Parliament
Subjects: EAEC, EU control, budget, fuel reprocessing, maintenance, nuclear safety, plutonium, safety standard, vocational training

12.11.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 325/41

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(21 January 1999)

The Commission is monitoring closely the food situation in Southern Somalia and works in close co-operation
and co-ordination with the United Nations world food programme (WFP). Based on reports of the food
security assessment unit, co-funded by the Community, it shares WFP concern about the deterioration of the
food situation due to poor harvests, increased insecurity in Southern Somalia and the effects of El Niño floods.
The Somalia aid co-ordination body in which the Commission is actively participating has also confirmed the
imminent crisis and has launched an emergency appeal. It will co-ordinate the response of the international
community. The Commission has already pledged 10 million euro in food aid. 10 899 metric tons of food,
including 9 130 tons of cereals, 1 000 tons of beans, and 559 tons of vegetable oil, will be distributed through
WFP to the most vulnerable people in the worst affected areas in Southern Somalia.

(1999/C 325/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3953/98

by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Euratom’s budget for 1999

Why has the Commission proposed to reduce by 15 % the resources to be made available to Euratom for the
application of ‘specific safeguards for large-scale plutonium processing plants’ (Item B4-2021) in the 1999
budget?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(8 March 1999)

The reduction under budget line B4-2021 amounts to only 1,5 % in terms of commitment appropriations. It is
mainly due to the fact that two major investment projects will be finalised early in 1999, namely the on-site
safeguards laboratories at the reprocessing plants at La Hague and Sellafield.

Since the large scale plutonium processing plants are already in production or undergoing the commissioning
phase, the focus of spending will change in the coming years from investments in safeguards equipment to
maintenance activities and the recruitment and training of qualified inspectors for the highly complex
inspection activities to be performed in these plants.

(1999/C 325/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3954/98

by Nuala Ahern (V) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Radiological and environmental impact of French nuclear tests on the Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls

What were the main findings of the study undertaken by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on
behalf of the Commission and the French authorities into the radiological and environmental impact of French
nuclear tests on the Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls? To whom has the report been circulated, and what further
studies into the problem does the Commission plan to support?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 1999)

The Mururoa study was conducted by an international advisory committee (IAC) established by the
International atomic energy agency (IAEA) at the request of the French government. The Commission was