WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1289/98 by Undine-Uta BLOCH von BLOTTNITZ to the Commission. Fraud involving aid for Chernobyl
C 386/108 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 11. 12. 98 (98/C 386/147) WRITTEN QUESTION P-1289/98 by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission (24 April 1998) Subject: Fraud involving aid for Chernobyl Since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster vast sums of money have been channelled to Ukraine from a number of sources, including the European Union, in order to support or make possible clearance work and safety improvement measures at the site. However, according to the latest information from the EnviroNews Service, the bulk of all international financial aid has been used not to improve safety, but to line the pockets of various officials involved in the financial transactions. An overall sum of US$740 million is being quoted. 1. Is the Commission aware that a major part of the aid, including EU aid, intended to improve safety at Chernobyl has not really been used for this purpose, but has been pocketed by mafia-like organisations? How high does the Commission estimate this share (as a percentage of all aid provided so far and also as 2. precisely as possible in terms of monetary value)? 3. What steps is it taking to prevent European aid being misappropriated in this way, what success has it met with and what methods for the fraudulent use of EU aid has it established so far? Is it correct that it has settlements of accounts and reports for only a third or so of all projects which have 4. received EU aid in this connection and that EBRD has released funds even without the necessary information on projects and settlements of accounts? How does it intend to prevent a large proportion of future aid allocated for improving the safety of the 5. sarcophagus being pocketed by individuals instead of funding the project in question? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (15 May 1998) In general, Community assistance to Ukraine in support of the closure of Chernobyl is channelled through the technical assistance programmes and payments are made on the basis of work performed and original invoices. Transparency in the management of Community funds is maintained on all levels, and the Commission is not aware of any misappropriations of these funds. In addition, the recent report of the Court of auditors did not detect any such fraud. The existing system of controls is deemed to be sufficient to prevent the misappropriation of technical assistance funds provided to Ukraine in support of the closure of Chernobyl. The Commission is in possession of all relevant reports with respect to the Community projects and activities. The Commission, as shareholder of the European bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD) and as a donor to the Nuclear safety account and the Chernobyl shelter fund, does not deem the EBRDís financial controls to be in any way less rigorous than its own and is not aware of any payments made by the EBRD on the basis of insufficient information. The rules of the Chernobyl shelter fund are deemed to be sufficiently rigorous to prevent the misappropriation of the funds concerned. In addition, as the fund has been constituted only recently, almost no disbursements have yet taken place. There can be no question, therefore, of any misappropriation