Brussels, 09/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Commission announced that it had asked the "Article 31" Experts Committee of the Euratom treaty, responsible for civilian protection against radiation, for a scientific opinion on the "Balkans Syndrome" and the effect of depleted uranium used during the NATO bombing campaign in Bosnia and Kosovo.
The college of Commissioners will broach the issue at its first meeting after the festive break, in Brussels on Wednesday, on the basis of the results of the interim Political and Security Committee, meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, and the meeting held Tuesday morning between the Commissioners responsible for the Environment, Margot Wallstrom, External Relations, Chris Patten, Health, David Byrne, and Energy, Loyola de Palacio.
The opinion of the Committee of Experts, hoped for by the end of January or beginning of February, should make a synthesis of existing information on the question, notably on the basis of reports drawn up by the United Nations Environmental Programme (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.6) and the results of investigations undertaken by several Member States, a Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday. In the light of this opinion, the Commission's services for external relations and the environment will decide whether there is need, on the one hand, to adapt the programmes for environmental rehabilitation in the Balkans already implemented by the EU, and, on the other, to take additional measures to protect the local population and the hundreds of people working on the ground to implement European reconstruction programmes, said the spokesperson.
"As President Prodi declared, the EU has great responsibility for reconstruction in the Balkans and the environmental impact of 10 years of conflict is considerable. This impact is felt by the local populations and Commission staff on the ground", the spokesperson stated, stressing that, because of that, the Commission was concerned by the civilian aspects of the "Balkans Syndrome". He did, however, consider that the impact of the war on the soldiers was the responsibility of NATO and Member States. You may recall that the North Atlantic Council is to discuss the issue Wednesday morning at ambassadorial level.
Tuesday evening, the EU's Interim Political and Security Committee was still meeting to examine, under the Swedish Presidency, the requests of countries that had hoped for a Union-wide examination of the possible links between the use of depleted uranium and the illnesses and deaths noted among many European soldiers who served in the Balkans campaign. You may recall that the initiative for a meeting of the Copsi was taken following a letter Belgian Defence Minister Andre Flahaut sent to his Swedish counterpart Bjorn von Sydow (also see yesterday's EUROPE, pages 5 and 6).
As for the European Parliament, speaking personally President Nicole Fontaine declared (from Burkina Faso, where she is on an official visit) that should it transpire that the information on the "terribly harmful effects depleted uranium has on human health" prove to be "unfortunately exact, then the use of those weapons should be prohibited urgently". In addition, according to the President of the EP, compensation for the victims should be considered, be they civilian or military and from the EU or the Balkans".
Italy has, for its part, asked NATO to suspend the use of depleted uranium munitions as long as reliable data on their consequences for health is not available, and Chancellor Schroeder also considered that such weapons should not be used before the end of an exhaustive investigation into their effects. (Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov placed emphasis on the need for an independent and objective control by the UN and specialised bodies).