WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3431/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Incident at the Sellafield nuclear complex, Britain
25. 5. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 158/109 The European Union on 27 October 1997 pledged a total of 326 000 ecus to Indonesia to overcome the serious problem caused by the current land and forest fires. The pledge follows a decision by the European Commission on behalf of the Community and the Member States to undertake a coordinated EU-approach to assist the Government and people of Indonesia in the present emergency. The assistance comprises the supply of fire-fighting equipment valued at ECU 194 000, ECU 115 000 for remote sensing, and 17 000 for fire-fighting expertise. The offer follows the recommendations made by the European Union Fire Response Group (EUFREG), an advisory team of experts established by the Commission and the Member States. The above pledge is in addition to the ongoing inputs of the EU-assisted forest fire projects in South Sumatra and East Kalimantan, in respect of fire-fighting equipment and basic training techniques and expertise. Member States of the EU and the European Community together provide nearly 35 % of all external assistance to Indonesiaís forest sector. The European Union, therefore, has a long-term commitment to Indonesian forestry in the form of a number of projects focusing on the conservation and sustainable management of Indonesiaís forest resources. Finally in the context of forthcoming discussions between the European Union and ASEAN countries it is envisaged that discussions will take place in the coming months on mutual efforts to support environment protection and sustainable use of natural resources. (98/C 158/143) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3431/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (31 October 1997) Subject: Incident at the Sellafield nuclear complex, Britain On 11 September 1997 one of the ageing Magnox reactors at Calder Hall in the British nuclear complex of Sellafield had to be shut down due to a fault on the control rod motor electrical supply. Although no radioactivity appears to have been released many would view any incident in the Magnox reactors as a grave development, given the fact the technology used is nearing obsolescence in terms of developments since the plants were built? Has the Commission undertaken any evaluation of the safety standards at Sellafieldís Magnox reactors and the other ageing reactors in the European Union? If not, will it do so? Is the Commission satisfied with the safety standards of these reactors or does it accept that they are inherently unsafe? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (8 December 1997) The safety of any nuclear installation is the responsibility of the operator which is regulated and licensed by the national nuclear safety authority. In the case of the Calder Hall the operator, British nuclear fuels Ltd (BNFL), undertakes periodic reviews to ensure that the safety of the reactors is upgraded to be in line with modern practices as far as is reasonably practicable. These reviews are submitted to the safety authority for independent assessment and approval. The Commission has no competence to request safety evaluations of any specific installations. Nevertheless the Commission promotes discussion among Member Statesí nuclear safety authorities on various issues, including ageing of nuclear installations