27/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved the payment of 40 million euros as the EU's contribution to the funds for the sarcophagus of the Tchernobyl power station. A press release points out that a first contribution of 90.5 million has already been paid to this fund (set up at the end of 1997 to transform the existing sarcophagus « into an environmentally safe and stable system », and that the EU has committed itself to a contribution of 100 million euros to the project for the period 2001-2004. The project, which is moving ahead according to schedule, is due to be completed in 2007.