Doc. 8787
28 June 2000

Financing of the Chernobyl “Sarcophagus” fund

Written Declaration No. 304

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

The undersigned, members of the Assembly,

1.       Noting that the disaster which occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on 26 April 1986 was without precedent in terms of its scale and consequences, that it condemned millions of people to suffering and left them permanently fearful for their future, and that the efforts to eliminate the consequences of the 20th century’s largest-scale technological disaster have been enormously expensive for humankind;

2.       Welcoming the Ukrainian Government’s policy decision of 15 December 2000 to close the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and the statements by President Clinton of the United States, President Chirac of France and the European Commission President, Mr Prodi, indicating that their countries and the Commission, respectively, are willing to assist Ukraine with the process of decommissioning the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;

3.       Hoping that, through the efforts of the G8 governments and international organisations, the international community will take decisive steps to eliminate the consequences of the worst environmental disaster in the history of humanity as soon as possible,

4.       Therefore call on the G8 governments to step up a steady flow of financing for an international programme to transform the “sarcophagus” into a system that is environmentally secure.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : ¹

Rakhansky, Ukraine, GUE

Oliynyk, Ukraine, GUE

Christodoulides, Chypre, GUE

Søndergaard, Denmark, GUE

Auken, Denmark, GUE

Einaarson, Sweden, GUE

Mikaelsson, Sweden, GUE

Popescu, Ukraine, SOC

Stepova, Czech Republic, SOC

Duka Zólyomi, Slovakia, PPE/DC

Solonari, Moldova, SOC

Yemets, Ukraine, GDE

Marmazov, Ukraine, GUE

Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, GDE

Škrabalo, Croatia, LDR

Ponsonby, United Kingdom, SOC

Kosakivsky, Ukraine, NI

Severinsen, Denmark, LDR

Lotz, Hungary, LDR

Fernández Aguilar, Spain, PPE/DC

_________________

Total = 20

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG:European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL : Group of the Unified European Left

      NR : Not registered in a group