Strasbourg, 25/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament adopted the report by Kyösti Virankoski (ELDR, Finland) approving the Commission's proposal to pay EUR 100 million (over the 2001/2004 period) from the fund for massive protection of the Chernobyl plant managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Parliament, however, makes payment subject to the following conditions: if amounts allocated to nuclear ends can no longer be used at the end of the financial period, the Commission should propose making them available for financing other activities. The EP also asks to be kept informed of all operations of this kind that are Community funded. MEPs shared the Commission's opinion whereby it is necessary to authorise the transfer of funds from the main TACIS line towards a new line created especially for such action. The EP has accepted this approach, making it possible to circumvent the obligation not to exceed the 13% ceiling of TACIS funding allocated to the nuclear sector. The nuclear sector accounts in total for 26% of the budget earmarked for the main TACIS line.