The extent of worldwide assistance for nuclear safety in Central and Eastern Europe and the former USSR is revealed in the total of 285 projects reported to the G-24 Coordination Centre in DG.XI. This figure summarises the effort of the European Community, 14 individual countries and 4 international organisations. The total reported financial assistance is some 305 MECU of which the EC Assistance Programmes PHARE and TACIS which falls under the responsibility of Sir Leon BRITAN, External Economic Affairs Commissioner, are providing some 60%. Commissioner Yannis Paleokrassas, responsible for nuclear safety, believes that these statistics are a measure of the progress towards the implementation of the multilateral programme of action supported by the G-7 Munich Summit in July last year which was based on cost estimates of 700 MECU for essential operational safety improvements and near-term technical improvements based on safety assessments. Work in the Coordination Centre is directed towards improving the flow of information from donors so that programme managers in any participating country or organisation can gain access to the databank to assist their planning. The Centre also organises meetings of technical experts to concert efforts in priority areas. On 14-15 January 1993, 34 experts from 14 countries plus Commission staff attended a meeting at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria. The meeting reviewed the progress of the 63 ongoing projects, considered their interrelationship in order to identify and eliminate any possible overlaps and duplication, and discussed gaps in the programme that need to be filled. Yesterday and today (28-29 January 1993) 32 experts from 16 countries are meeting in Brussels to review the 92 training projects that have been set up so far. Again the objective of the meeting is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the global effort. An important element of such meetings is the opportunity for technical experts from both donor and recipient countries to meet together with a common purpose. Other priority areas of work for the Centre concern the safety of particular types of reactor, support to regulatory authorities, questions of third party liability arising from safety assistance, collaboration with the IAEA in Vienna and the NEA in Paris, and coordination and assistance to the Supplementary Multilateral Fund and the EBRD. Staff of the Centre will shortly be expanded with national experts from both EC and non-EC donors, and recipients countries to reflect the global interest and the importance of the combined effort. * * *
