WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2867/97 by Jesús CABEZÓN ALONSO to the Commission. Analysis and cooperation in the field of employment
C 102/140 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 4. 98 Does the Commission consider that following the EBRD decision, Euratomís loan for the completion of the two power stations should also be dropped? Does it share my view that no new investment in one of the two power stations should be made until the EBRD has decided whether it will provide a loan for its completion? If the EBRD also withdraws from the part-financing of the completion of one of the two power stations, will the Commission then follow that decision? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (23 September 1997) The information available to the Commission does not confirm that the European bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD) has decided against participating in the completion of the Rovno 4 and Khmelnitsky 2 nuclear power plants. The EBRD is still investigating the economic aspects of the project. The Commission for its part is also continuing the preparation of the Euratom loan for the project. The Commission remains committed to the full implementation of the memorandum of understanding aimed at the closure of Chernobyl by the year 2000 and obviously will take into account all relevant aspects in its decision on the project financing. This will include the availability of the necessary complementary financing by the other financial institutions, such as the EBRD, the need to seek guarantees for completion of the two reactors to international acceptable safety standards and the overall need to obtain closure of Chernobyl, especially in the light of a recent report from independent experts confirming the unsafe state of Unit 3 which at present is still in operation. (98/C 102/210) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2867/97 by Jesu· s Cabezo·n Alonso (PSE) to the Commission (11 September 1997) Subject: Analysis and cooperation in the field of employment The amended proposal for a decision on the ECís activities of analysis and cooperation in the field of employment (the ESSEN programme) does not yet appear to have been adopted despite the efforts of the Dutch Presidency. Is it likely that the proposal will be adopted before the extraordinary European Council on employment? What effects will the delay have on the joint report on employment which is due to be debated by the European Council in December at the close of the Luxembourg Presidency? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (20 October 1997) The amended proposal for a Council Decision on Commission activities of analysis, research, cooperation and action in the field of employment (1) is currently still under discussion in the Council. The Commission can give no formal undertaking as to when this proposal will be adopted, but it would appear that sufficient progress is being made on this matter in the Council to give grounds for hope that it will soon be resolved. The Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that, in the past, it has been able to fund its research, analysis and cooperation measures in the area of employment, albeit out of limited resources. This delay will therefore have only minor repercussions on the work concerning the joint report to be presented to the European Council in December. If the Council were not to adopt the Decision, the situation would become far more difficult from 1998 onwards. (1) COM(95) 250, as amended by COM(96) 449