WRITTEN QUESTION P-2359/00 by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Temelin nuclear power station.
Date: 2000-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Czechia, accession to the European Union, environmental impact, nuclear power station, nuclear safety, transfrontier pollution

C 103 E/132

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.4.2001

Reply

(7 November 2000)

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s question concerns a domestic Italian matter which does not fall within the
sphere of competence of the Council. If a Member State has failed to fulfil one of the obligations imposed
on it by the Treaty, it is for the Commission, in accordance with Articles 211 and 226 of the EC Treaty, to
ensure that the provisions of the Treaty and any provisions laid down by the institutions pursuant to the
Treaty are respected.

(2001/C 103 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2359/00

by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Temelin nuclear power station

Is the Commission aware:

(cid:129) that in 13 procedures calling for structural changes to the Temelin nuclear power station project, the
Czech Environment Ministry has drawn attention to the failure to carry out environmental impact
assessments and characterised the existing situation as contrary to law;

(cid:129) that execution of the environmental impact assessments still outstanding is being called for by the

Czech Environment Minister, Dr Kuzvart;

(cid:129) that the introduction of fuel and subsequent activation of Block 1 in the Temelin plant before
environmental impact assessments are duly completed would inadmissibly compromise the outcome
of the assessment procedure and call that important mechanism into question;

(cid:129) that no detailed information on safety standards at the Temelin plant has to date been made available

to Czech and international public opinion enabling them to assess the safety levels achieved;

(cid:129) that precipitate activation of the plant before clarifying all outstanding questions would be associated

with increased risk and possible economic damage?

Is the Commission prepared:

(cid:129) to urge the government of the Czech Republic to ensure that neighbouring countries are guaranteed
their full rights under the Espoo Convention in relation to environmental impact assessments at the
Temelin plant;

(cid:129) further to urge the government of the Czech Republic to ensure that Czech and international public
opinion have detailed information made available to them by the Temelin operators and the Czech
national nuclear supervisory authority (SUJB) on the basis of which an expert assessment can be made
of the levels of security achieved in Temelin;

(cid:129) to urge the Parliament of the Czech Republic to guarantee the rights to which citizens of neighbour-
ing countries are entitled in relation to environmental impact assessments by promptly ratifying the
Espoo Convention?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 2000)

The Commission is following the Czech domestic political and legal debate on the issue of the Temelin
impact
nuclear power plant (NPP) and the application of current Czech legislation on environmental
assessment.

The evaluation of the safety levels at the Temelin NPP falls exclusively within the responsibility of the
Czech national nuclear safety regulatory authority. Public involvement in environmental impact assessment
procedures is regulated by national legislation.

3.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 103 E/133

Whereas the responsibility for nuclear safety lies with the operator and the national regulator,
economic risk of operating a power plant has to be borne by the operator, alone.

the

The Commission has defined the transposition of the environmental impact assessment acquis as a short-
term priority within the accession partnership with the Czech Republic. To date, the Czech Republic has
not ratified the Espoo Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context. The
Commission will report on further Czech progress in adopting the acquis in its forthcoming progress
report.

The Commission will continue to urge the Czech Republic to undertake steps to adhere to the acquis in
time for accession.

(2001/C 103 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2362/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Rodr(cid:237)guez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Guidelines for the negotiation of the agriculture chapter of the free-trade agreement with the

Maghreb

The Commission has submitted its proposal for guidelines for the negotiation of the free-trade agreement
with Morocco, Tunisia and Israel in the Council(cid:146)s Maghreb Group. The proposal contains every possible
liberalisation measure, ranging from increased quotas to reduced tariffs, and including various approaches
to managing entry prices.

Is it standard practice for the Commission to ask the Council for a negotiating mandate amounting to a
(cid:145)blank cheque(cid:146) for all negotiations with third countries, or does it do so only when agricultural production
is the main interest at stake?

What does the Commission consider to be the advantages of a negotiating strategy which may raise great
expectations in the Mediterranean countries, thus making subsequent negotiations more awkward, and
which is already causing alarm amongst tomato producers in southern areas of the EU?

In the specific case of tomatoes, given that the Kingdom of Morocco has consistently exported excessive
quantities of tomatoes to the EU, how does the Commission intend to apply its guidelines without
sparking off a new crisis amongst producers in southern areas of the EU?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 July 2000)

The proposal for negotiating instructions which the Commission presented recently to the Council was
drawn up within the context of a renegotiation of the agriculture protocols to the association agreements
with Morocco, Tunisia and Israel, in accordance with the provisions of those agreements.

This review of reciprocal concessions aims at pushing forward the progressive liberalisation of agricultural
trade between the Community and these countries with a view to creating a free-trade area in accord with
the Barcelona Declaration signed in 1995 by all the Member States and their 12 Mediterranean partners.

In line with Article 133 of the EC Treaty (formerly Article 113) on trade policy, the Commission has sent
the Council a recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations
with these countries. This proposal for a negotiating brief outlines the measures which could be taken
within the framework of the forthcoming negotiations for a reciprocal and progressive liberalisation of
trade and stresses the importance to the Community of improved access for its agricultural exports to the
countries in question in order to attain a better balance in mutual preferences.

On the issue of Community imports of tomatoes from Morocco (cid:129) and as noted in fact in the draft
negotiating instructions (cid:129) the Community aims to achieve an unambiguous agreement so that trade can
run smoothly over the next few marketing years.