20.12.2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 364 E/19 (2001/C 364 E/021) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0884/01 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (27 March 2001) Subject: Radiological sampling at military ranges where depleted uranium munitions have been tested What plans does the Commission have, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter III of the Euratom Treaty, to conduct radiological sampling at military ranges or other sites in the UK and France where depleted uranium munitions have been tested? (2001/C 364 E/022) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0979/01 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (30 March 2001) Subject: Test firing of depleted uranium shells Does the Commission consider that the test firing of depleted uranium shells into coastal waters within the European Union is covered by the OSPAR Convention? (2001/C 364 E/023) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0980/01 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (30 March 2001) Subject: Surveys of environmental radioactivity What surveys of environmental radioactivity are currently being conducted by the Commission or its agents? (2001/C 364 E/024) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0981/01 by Nuala Ahern (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (30 March 2001) Subject: Firing of depleted uranium shells into the Solway Firth, United Kingdom What evaluation has the Commission made of the environmental survey conducted by consultants W.S. Atkins on behalf of the British Ministry of Defence in 1994, released in January 1995, into the impact on the marine and terrestrial environment of the test-firing of depleted uranium shells in the United Kingdom into the Solway Firth (from the Dundrennan range near Kirkcudbright, in Scotland) and at Eskmeals (Cumbria, in England)? Is it aware of any similar survey conducted by France into its depleted uranium testing site at Granat? Joint answer to Written Questions E-0884/01, E-0979/01, E-0980/01 and E-0981/01 given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (5 June 2001) Test ranges of depleted uranium munitions may be either terrestrial or in a marine environment. In the case of marine test ranges, the Commission stated on several occasions most recently in its reply to Oral Question H-0055/01 by Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou during question time at Parliament’s February 2001 part-session (1) that no contamination of the marine environment which could be distinguished from naturally occurring uranium concentrations would result from this activity. It is the Commission’s understanding that this issue has so far not been addressed under the Oslo-Paris (OSPAR) Convention..