Press Release: Commission pledges €110 million to complete safety work on Chernobyl site

On 19 April 2011, 25 years after the Chernobyl accident, EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs announced the European Commission's pledge of around €110 million at a high-level conference in Kiev to ensure that the Chernobyl site is made stable and environmentally safe.

The European Commission has so far committed a lion's share - some €470 million - to Chernobyl-related projects, mainly for nuclear safety, but also on programmes to help the local population and provide affected families with access to quality healthcare. Yet a further €740 million are needed from the international community in order to complete the major projects on the site by 2015.

European Commission: MEMO/11/252: 25 years after Chernobyl, Commission pledges €110m to make site safe again http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/252&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: SPEECH/11/286: Remarks by President Barroso at the press point after the Chernobyl Pledging Conference http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/11/286&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

EurActiv, 19.4.11: EU helps finance new Chernobyl sarcophagus http://www.euractiv.com/en/global-europe/eu-helps-finance-new-chernobyl-sarcophagus-news-504163

BBC News, 19.4.11: Kiev summit to seek funds for new Chernobyl structure http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13124777

EUObserver, 19.4.11: EU pledges aid for new Chernobyl sarcophagus http://euobserver.com/9/32207

European Commission: EuropeAid: What we do: Energy: Chernobyl 25 years on - Making the area safe again http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/energy/chernobyl_en.htm

Spiegel Online International, 20.4.11: 'How Many Chernobyls Can the World Afford?' http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,758246,00.html

Spiegel Online International, 20.4.11: Fukushima Disaster Boosts Chernobyl Tourism http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,758269,00.html

Deutsche Welle, 19.4.11: A quarter-century later, nations shore up Chernobyl http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15000029,00.html

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