WRITTEN QUESTION E-2369/01 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Compliance with multiannual guidance programmes (MGP).
Date: 2001-08-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Court of Justice of the European Union, EU programme, confidentiality, fishing industry, implementation of the budget, infringement procedure (EU)

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/121

(2002/C 93 E/142)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2363/01

by Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 August 2001)

Subject: Storage of nuclear waste from EU Member States in Russia

Can the Commission confirm that the Russian Federation has made it possible, through a special law
adopted by the Duma on 6 June, to store nuclear waste from Member States of the European Union?

What is its position on this issue?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

The changes to the Russian law adopted by the Duma on 6 June 2001 relax the law of 1991 on
protection of the natural environment (Article 50.3) that states ‘The importation of radioactive waste and
materials for the purpose of storage or dumping from other States … shall be prohibited’ to allow the
importation of spent nuclear fuel for ‘technical storage’ and reprocessing.

The precise modalities for such imports would be subject to specific agreements to be negotiated between
the Russian Federation and interested countries. These agreements would as necessary cover the timing of
reprocessing and the return of the products of reprocessing.

The changes to the law have been made with the objective of raising revenue for the Russian Federation.
The stated intention is to use an important part of the revenue raised 5 around 70 % 5 to rehabilitate
areas contaminated by previous poor practices in the management of radioactive material.

Under Euratom legislation, exports would have to be authorised by the Commission. To that effect, the
Commission has to ensure compliance with international agreements, verify supply requirements and
satisfy itself that the general interests of the Community will be safeguarded. If the contract would only be
for reprocessing, the Commission has to be informed in order to verify that all the obligations assumed
with regard to the material concerned are complied with.

there is Community legislation that covers the shipment

As regards radioactive waste,
from the
Community to a third country (1). This clearly states that a Member State shall not authorise shipments
legal or administrative resources to manage the
to a third country that ‘does not have the technical,
radioactive waste safely’. This legislation does not cover spent fuel sent for reprocessing (unless that fuel is
defined as waste by the Member State). However, the Joint Convention on the safety of spent fuel
management and the safety of radioactive waste management contains similar conditions covering both
spent fuel and waste. The Member States will have to comply with these above mentioned obligations. The
Commission will closely monitor their application.

(1) Council Directive 92/3/Euratom of 3 February 1992 on the supervision and control of shipments of radioactive

waste between Member States and into and out of the Community, OJ L 35, 12.2.1992.

(2002/C 93 E/143)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2369/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Compliance with multiannual guidance programmes (MGP)

(8 August 2001)

In the statement he made to Parliament at its sitting of 5 July 2001 in Strasbourg, Commissioner Fischler
announced that proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Communities were being prepared
against certain Member States for failure to comply with MGP.

C 93 E/122

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

Will the Commission say against which Member States the proceedings are being prepared or initiated and
when they will begin?

Will the Commission give details of any information so far available on the extent to which each
individual Member State has complied with MGP IV?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2001)

The Commission is currently preparing the launch of infringement procedures against several Member
States for non-compliance with the objectives of
the multi-annual guidance programmes (MAGP).
However, regarding the information requested (1), the confidentiality of these infringement procedures
must be respected until such time that they are the subject of a final Commission Decision.

Details of the extent to which each of the individual Member States has complied with the MAGP IV are
given annually in the report to the Council and to the Parliament on the results of the MAGP, as required
by Article 5 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the detailed
sector (2). The
rules and arrangements
Commission has prepared the report on the results of the MAGP IV at the end of 2000, which will be
submitted to the Council and to the Parliament in the coming weeks.

regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries

(1) OJ C 121, 24.4.2001.
(2) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2002/C 93 E/144)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2371/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EU budget for fisheries cooperation

(8 August 2001)

Will the Commission give details of the annual EU budget earmarked for development cooperation with
third countries and the percentage of that budget allocated to each country each year for the period from
1994 to 2002?

Will it say what amount was allocated each year from the European Development Fund (EDF) for fisheries
cooperation during the period from 1994 to 2001?

What amount will be allocated from the EDF for fisheries cooperation during the period from 2002 to
2007?

Reply given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

Most of the EU’s international fisheries agreements include support for targeted projects, financed under
the relevant budget heading (B7-8000). In general, the aim of these projects is to strengthen activities
relating to the fisheries sector of the parties’ country, including control, monitoring, research, small-scale
fisheries, study grants and training, statistics, and so forth.

As regards annual allocations for fisheries cooperation from the European Development Fund for the
1994-2001 period, according to the information in the OLAS database (OECD classification code 313),
over the whole 1994-August 2001 period, fisheries activities in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
countries received EUR 45 518 000. Of this total, almost EUR 11.5 million was used to support fisheries
policy and administrative management, while almost EUR 24.7 million (including EUR 3 million of debt
forgiveness in 1999) was for fisheries development. The other sub-sectors which received funds were
education/training, research and services.