European Parliament resolution on the ecological disaster caused by a cyanide spill from a Romanian gold mine into the Lepos, Somes, Tisza and Danube rivers
Date: 2000-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Bulgaria, Serbia, accidental pollution, dangerous substance, gold, mining operation, water pollution, watercourse

29.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 339/279

Thursday 17 February 2000

1.
Fully supports the new initiative addressed by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Cambo-
dian Prime Minister Hun Sen for the establishment of a special international tribunal to prosecute former
Khmer Rouge leaders;

Urges the Cambodian government to allow Ta Mok and others accused of crimes against humanity

2.
and genocide to be tried by a UN ad-hoc independent tribunal;

3.
Recalls that the transparency and impartiality of the judicial system, international judicial cooperation
and respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law are essential elements for the
renewal of EU/Cambodia relations;

Urges the Cambodian authorities to refrain from any act of intimidation against the democratic

4.
opposition;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the United Nations,

5.
ASEAN and the government and parliament of Cambodia.

18. Environmental disaster in the Danube

B5-0164, 0167, 0168, 0173 and 0179/2000

European Parliament resolution on the ecological disaster caused by a cyanide spill from a Roma-
nian gold mine into the Lepos, Somes, Tisza and Danube rivers

The European Parliament,

A.

alarmed at the ecological, environmental, agricultural and social disaster caused by the spillage of
cyanide from a gold mine,
located in Aurul, Romania, and owned by a company formed by the
Romanian government, Remin S.A., and the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration Limited
based in Perth,

B. whereas more than 100 000 cubic metres of water heavily poisoned with cyanide has polluted the
Lepos and Somes rivers in Romania, the Tisza in Hungary and the Danube in Serbia and Bulgaria,

C.

considering the threat this disaster represents for the delta of the Danube, one of the most important
wetlands in Europe covering some 4 300 square kilometres,

D. whereas the concentrations of cyanide have been found to be over seven hundred times the normal

levels, killing vast numbers of fish, birds and aquatic flora,

E. whereas this accident has greatly damaged natural ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity, contam-
ination of food chains and of drinking and agricultural water resources by heavy metals deposited in
the river, and will affect the life of all
inhabitants of the region, especially fishermen and those
involved in local tourism,

1.

Expresses its sympathy and support for the countries affected by this catastrophe;

2.
Considers the EU should intervene to help the countries affected by this ecological disaster and calls
on the scientific community, environmental groups and the EU institutions to provide all necessary assist-
ance and to take part in the major clean-up operation required;

3.
Notes that, according to the information available, the Aurul mine was using technology that did not
comply with the environmental acquis communautaire and calls on the Romanian authorities to do their best
to speed up the incorporation of the acquis, particularly in the field of industrial safety;

C 339/280

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.11.2000

Thursday 17 February 2000

4.
Considers that according to the polluter-pays principle, the owners of the Aurul mining company
should accept full responsibility by compensating victims, financing the clean-up of the areas affected by
the disaster and paying for ecological damage;

Believes that EC legislation on industrial safety, pollution prevention and liability for environment
5.
and consumers should, under no circumstances, be subject to derogation during the negotiations with
the applicant countries;

Restates its proposal that an EU civil protection intervention corps be created in order to provide and

6.
coordinate emergency assistance for industrial and/or natural disasters;

7.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Romanian,
Hungarian, Bulgarian and Yugoslav Governments, the Aurul mining company and the Esmeralda Explora-
tion Limited company.

19. Company restructuring in Europe

B5-0124, 0128 and 0134/2000

European Parliament resolution on restructuring of European industry, with particular reference
to the closure of Goodyear in Italy and the problems of ABB-Alstom

The European Parliament,

> having regard to the 1989 Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers and the
relevant provisions of the EC Treaty, in particular Article 136 thereof, which stipulates that the objec-
tives of the Member States shall include the promotion of employment, improved living and working
conditions, proper social protection and dialogue between management and labour with a view to
lasting high employment and the combating of exclusion,

> having regard to Directive 75/129/EEC (1), as amended by Directive 92/56/EEC (2), on the approxima-

tion of the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies,

> having regard to Directive 94/45/EC (3) on the establishment of a European Works Council or a pro-
cedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the pur-
pose of informing and consulting employees,

> having regard to the Commission proposal on a general framework for informing and consulting

employees in the European Community,

> having regard to the conclusions of the High-Level Group on the Economic and Social Implications of

Industrial Change,

> having regard to its earlier resolutions on the restructuring, transfer and closure of undertakings in the

EU, in particular those on the Renault-Vilvoorde affair,

> having regard to the statement made to the European Parliament by Commissioner Anna Diamanto-

poulou on 27 October 1999 on company restructuring (Michelin),

A. whereas the management of the multinational Goodyear/Dunlop announced without warning that its
only plant in Italy, at Cisterna di Latina, was to be closed, with the decision taking effect on 17 Feb-
ruary 2000; whereas the closure will lead to the loss of 574 jobs at the plant itself and have a major
impact on approximately 430 indirect jobs,

B. whereas in particular the Cisterna di Latina plant has to date proved highly productive and profitable,
owing not least to the professional, responsible attitude shown by its employees; whereas despite the
lack of any investment by the company for more than 10 years, in 1996 the plant came second in the
group’s cost competitiveness charts and first in its quality charts in Europe,

(1) OJ L 48, 22.2.1975, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 245, 26.8.1992, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 254, 30.9.1994, p. 64.