Brussels, 06/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission welcomes the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to close the Chernobyl power plant by the month of December. President Prodi and Commissioner Patten published a declaration in which they approve this "breakthrough". The European Commission, which has already contributed $100 million for the Chernobyl shelter fund, is considering "a further significant contribution", stress Romano Prodi and Chris Patten. Furthermore, the closure of Chernobyl is part, they recall, of the conditions for the release of 92 million euros of macro-economic assistance. Generally speaking, it is stressed at the Commission that this decision should allow relations with Ukraine to be enhanced, also in other sectors.
The declaration, moreover, stresses that this decision should make it possible to rapidly move forward regarding international financial support to "alternative electricity generating capacities" - in this instance two new nuclear power stations. This will be a major Euratom loan that would be part of a global package proposed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and from other donors. Nonetheless, some Member States, including Germany, now seem hostile to the financing of new nuclear power plants in Ukraine, which brings into question the possibility for EBRD to grant further loans.