ANNEX 3

Reply from Commissioner for Enlargement Günter Verheugen to Campagna per la riforma della Banca mondiale on January 15th, 2003

G?ENTER VERHEUGEN
MITGLIED DER EUROPAEISCHEN KOMMISSION
RUE DE LA LOI 200 - B - 1049 BRUXELLES
WETSTRAAT 200 - B-1049 BRUSSEL
TEL. 02/298.11.00
         Brussels, 15-01-2003
Mr Antonio Tricarico
Campagna per la riforma della Banca mondiale
Via Tommaso da Celano, 15
I - 00179 ROMA

Dear Mr Tricarico,

Thank you for your letter of 27 November 2002, copied to President Prodi and to my colleagues, Commissioners Solbes and Wallstroem.

I would aldo like to thank you for bringing to my attention that the results of the analyses made on your behalf by the Austrian Institute for Applied Ecology are now publicly available.

I understand you have already been in contact with Commission experts in the Directorate-General for Enlargement in order to exchange views on this issue. As you will know, the involvement of the Directorate-General for Enlargement is limited to completing the management of the various studies foreseen under the Euratom Treaty as necessary for evaluation of the loan request. The lead Commission service with regard to the Romanian application for a Euratom loan is the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. For this reason, I am copying my reply to the responsible Commissioner, Pedro Solbes, so that his services are fully informed in case there is further consultation with the European Commission.

I am pleased that you have found useful the publication by the Commission of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Cernavoda 2 NPP. By contrast, the Commission is not in a position to make public the safety study for the project, because this was established and used for the specifi purpose of backing up the Romanian loan application.

I have been aware of your concerns related to the economic viability of the project. It is precisely the purpose of the studies made by independent experts as well as the review by the European Investment Bank to investoigate this aspect. This process is currently underway.

Finally as regards the significance of the Cernavoda 2 project in the bilateral relations between Romania and its neighbours, the Commission will monitor developments, including any views or positions to be taken by the relevant national authorities regarding this project.

Your sincerely,

Günter Verheugen
cc: President R. Prodi, Commissioners P. solbes and M. Wallström

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