WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1701/98 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Attempt on the life of the President of the Human Rights Association in Ankara
22. 2. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 50/75 Now a third reactor is being opened at Chernobyl. What does the Commission propose to do to ensure that the threat to our citizens can be removed and our promises to them kept? Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (1 July 1998) Unit 3 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been restarted on 15 May 1998 after an extended period of repair work. The Commission shares the concern about the safety of this reactor. The definitive closure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the group of seven most industrialised nations (G7) and Ukraine. Within the G7, the Commission is fully associated with the follow-up of the MoU. The Commission is also involved in the implementation of some of the projects, which are part of the MoU, through direct Community financing (Tacis) and through the European bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD) nuclear safety account. Loan financing by Euratom and by the EBRD is under consideration for the completion of the two reactors at Rovno 4 and Khmelnitsky 2. The Commission is making all possible efforts to have these projects progress as quickly as possible so as to ensure the full implementation of the MoU with the closure of the Chernobyl plant by 2000. (1999/C 50/111) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1701/98 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (29 May 1998) Subject: Attempt on the life of the President of the Human Rights Association in Ankara On 12 May 1998, Mr A. Birdal, the President of Turkeyís Human Rights Association, was shot in his office in Ankara and taken to a hospital in the Turkish capital in a critical condition. Mr Birdal is one of the most consistent upholders of democratic freedoms in his country and his utterances regarding the human rights situation in Turkey had been a source of constant irritation to the Turkish authorities. Can the Commission give its official views regarding this occurrence, which provides indisputable evidence that fear and terror continue to reign in Turkey, a country seeking membership of the European Union, while at the same time those who uphold democratic freedoms are exposed to acts of extreme violence and even death? Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (19 June 1998) The Commission was horrified to learn of the attempt on the life of Akin Birdal on 12 May. It utterly condemns this cowardly act and fully endorses the statement made on 13 May by the presidency on behalf of the European Union. On EU-Turkey relations in general, the Luxembourg European Council in December 1997 underlined that closer relations between the two sides was also conditional on continuing political reforms in Turkey, particularly regarding alignment of human rights standards and practices on those in the Community and respect for and protection of minorities. The Commission will continue to make known the EUís concerns in this area to the Turkish authorities