Proposal for a Council Decision on a second contribution of the European Community to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the Chernobyl Shelter Fund
Date: 2001-05-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EBRD, EU aid, Ukraine, environmental protection, nuclear safety

28.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 240 E/157

Proposal for a Council Decision on a second contribution of the European Community to the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the Chernobyl Shelter Fund

(2001/C 240 E/23)

COM(2001) 251 final (cid:151) 2001/0113(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 29 May 2001)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 308 thereof,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic
Energy Community, and in particular Article 203 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) The Community,

in pursuance of a clear policy of
supporting Ukraine in its efforts to eliminate the conse-
the nuclear accident which occurred on
quences of
26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, has
already contributed to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, estab-
lished at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Devel-
years
opment
1999-2000,
accordance with Council Decision
98/381/EC, Euratom (1).

(EBRD) 90.5 million euro over

the

in

(2) The EBRD, as administrator of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund,
confirmed in anticipation of the pledging conference held
in Berlin on 5 July 2000 that the initial scheduled rate of
disbursements was still valid and that a replenishment of
the
2000/2001.
Consequently, the Community pledged at that conference
a further contribution of 100 million euro over the years
2001-2004.

Fund was

therefore

needed

by

(3) Council Regulation (EC,

Euratom) No 99/2000 of
29 December 1999 concerning the provision of assistance
to partner States in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (2), in
Article 2(5)(c), includes as a priority in the area of nuclear
safety the contribution (cid:145)to relevant EU supported inter-
initiatives such as the G7/EU initiative on the
national
closure of Chernobyl(cid:146).

(4) In accordance with the Communication of 6 September
2000 from the Commission to the Council and the
European Parliament, Community financial support
for
nuclear safety in the Newly Independent States and the
countries of Central and Eastern Europe (3) should be
taken from existing Tacis credits or
from a separate
budget line for assistance to those partner States.

(1) OJ L 171, 17.6.1998, p. 31.
(2) OJ L 12, 18.1.2000, p. 1.
(3) COM(2000) 493 final.

(5) EBRD procurement rules apply to grants made from the
resources of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, on the under-
standing that procurement shall in principle be limited to
goods and services produced in or supplied from the
countries of the contributors or the countries of EBRD
operations. Those rules are not identical to those applied
the Tacis
to
operations
programme, which
the
cover
cannot
contribution which is the subject of this Decision.

through
consequently

financed

directly

(6) It is, however, appropriate to ensure that, with regard to
procurement arrangements made pursuant to the EBRD’s
Rules of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, there is no discrimi-
nation between individual Member States of the European
Community, irrespective of whether they have concluded
individual Contribution Agreements with the EBRD or not.

(7) The Treaties do not provide,

this
Decision, powers other than those of Article 308 of the
EC Treaty and Article 203 of the Euratom Treaty,

for the adoption of

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Community shall make to the European Bank for Recon-
struction and Development
((cid:145)EBRD(cid:146)) a contribution of 100
million euro over the years 2001-2004 for the Chernobyl
Shelter Fund.

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary
authority within the limits of the financial perspective.

Article 2

1.
The Commission shall administer the contribution to the
Chernobyl Shelter Fund in accordance with the Financial Regu-
lation applicable to the general budget of
the European
Communities, having particular regard to the principles of
sound and efficient management.

The Commission shall forward all relevant information to the
Court of Auditors and shall request
from the EBRD any
supplementary information that the Court of Auditors may
wish to receive, as regards the aspects of the operation of
the Chernobyl Shelter Fund that relate to the Community’s
contribution.

C 240 E/158

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.8.2001

to
The Commission shall ensure that, with respect
2.
procurement arrangements relating to grants made from the
resources of
there is no discrimination between
Member States.

the Fund,

an exchange of
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

letters between the Commission and the

Those letters shall follow the models set out in the Annex.

Article 3

Article 4

In accordance with Article II, Section 2.02 of the Rules of the
Chernobyl Shelter Fund, the Community contribution shall be
the subject of a formal Contribution Agreement in the form of

The Commission shall present to the European Parliament and
to the Council, on a yearly basis, a progress report on the
implementation of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund.

28.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 240 E/159

ANNEX

MODEL EXCHANGE OF LETTERS CONSTITUTING THE CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE EBRD

Letter from the authorised Member of the European Commission to the EBRD President

Dear President,

I am pleased to confirm on behalf of the European Commission that the European Community will make a new
contribution of 100 million euro to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund in accordance with Article II, Section 2.02 of the Rules
of the Fund.

The new contribution will, in principle, be made of four annual contributions of 25 million over the years 2001-2004,
subject to the necessary authorisations of the Budgetary Authority.

As was the case for the first contribution agreement, I would ask the Bank to confirm its agreement to the following
provisions which will form an integral part of this Contribution Agreement:

1. The Commission will forward all relevant information to the Court of Auditors and may request from the Bank
supplementary information that the Court of Auditors may wish to obtain concerning those aspects of the operation
of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund that relate to the Community’s contribution.

2. The Court of Auditors may also be given the possibility of performing missions to the Bank with a view to verifying
pertinent information that relates to the Community’s contribution and on the basis of practice established in the
context of the Nuclear Safety Account.

3. As concerns the procurement arrangements pursuant to the Rules of the Fund, the Commission and the Bank share
the common understanding that, upon conclusion of the Contribution Agreement, there will be no discrimination
irrespective of whether they have concluded
between individual Member States of
individual Contribution Agreements with the Bank or not, as far as the award of procurement contracts for
services or supplies concluded in the course of operation of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund is concerned.

the European Community,

I confirm that the terms used herein have the meaning attributed to them in the Fund Rules. I understand the present
letter and the Bank’s confirmation of its content to constitute the Contribution Agreement pursuant to the Fund Rules.

Member of the European Commission

Dear Commissioner,

Reply from the EBRD President

Thank you for your letter of . . . 2001 concerning the European Community’s contribution to the Chernobyl Shelter
Fund in the amount of 100 million euro.

This is to confirm that the European Bank will be pleased to accept this contribution for inclusion in the Fund pursuant
to the rules governing the Fund.

The European Bank also confirms that all the provisions set out in your letter are acceptable to the Bank and form part
of this Contribution Agreement.

President of the EBRD