Doc. 9420

23 April 2002

Nuclear power plants in Ukraine and non-fulfillment of the preconditions of the “Memorandum of mutual understanding”

Written Declaration No. 335

      The undersigned, members of the Assembly, call on the G8 governments, the European Commission, the EBRD and Euratom and the heads of state and government of donor countries.

      26 April 2002 is the sixteenth anniversary of the disaster which occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and was without precedent in mankind’s history.

      On 15 December 2000, Ukraine met the preconditions of the “Memorandum of mutual understanding” and, under conditions of energy crisis, has closed down the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

      The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has welcomed the decision of donor countries to allocate funds required to transform the “sarcophagus” into a system that is environmentally safe.

      Nevertheless, the Assembly expresses its concern over the non-fulfillment of preconditions of the Memorandum as regards allocation of credits, and in particular, for:

-       the completion of Rivne and Khmelnitsky nuclear power plants;

-       the decommissioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;

-       compensation of the energy deficit accumulated in the period between the decommissioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the completion of Rivne and Khmelnitsky nuclear power plants;

-       the resolution of social problems due to the dismissal of five thousand specialists after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant shutdown.

      The undersigned, members of the Assembly, express their hope that the international organizations and the international community will make all the efforts necessary for unconditional compliance with the Memorandum preconditions.

Signed : ¹

Rakhansky, Ukraine, UEL

Bakulin, Russia, UEL

Carvalho, Portugal, UEL

Churkin, Russia, UEL

Dmitrijevas, Lithuania, SOC

Duka-Zolyomi, Slovakia, EPP/CD

Galoyan, Armenia, EPP/CD

Hovhannisyan, Armenia, EDG

Jirousova, Czech Republic, UEL

Kalkan, Turkey, EDG

Kanelli, Greece, UEL

Kirilov, Bulgaria, SOC

Manukyan, Armenia, UEL

Marmazov, Ukraine, UEL

Oliynyk, Ukraine, UEL

Popescu, Ukraine, SOC

Sağlam, Turkey, EPP/CD

Shakhtakhtinskaya, Azerbaijan, EDG

Stepaniuc, Moldova, UEL

Yϋrϋr, Turkey, EDG

______________

Total = 20

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP: 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