CHERNOBYL REGION PROGRAMME / Expert 1

Following a request from the Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian authorities, the European Commission (EC) established the Chernobyl Regional Programme (CRP) as a part of the TACIS 1993 Nuclear Safety Programme. The programme was intended to assist those countries in dealing with the consequences of the Chernobyl accident.

The programme began with a rapid exercise to assess the needs of the three countries, identify actions already undertaken and define the key priorities for funding by the EC and other donors.
The first step of this exercise comprised a study performed by a consortium of specialist organisations with the objective of compiling a comprehensive overview of all measures, taken or planned, by the governments of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, as well as through bilateral, multilateral or international assistance programmes, to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident and to promote the economic regeneration of the affected regions (see Contract 22281). This information was to serve as the first input for developing an action programme to be financed by the EC. Following publication of the final report of this study, the EC prepared an outline strategy for the development of future actions under the CRP.

In a second step, the European Commission contracted a number of independent experts to assist in developing the strategy into a comprehensive and detailed programme of actions. Following the development of the programme, the experts were to develop the Terms of Reference for a selected number of the projects of the programme. Three experts were contracted through three separate contracts (contracts 22540, 22541 and 22552).

The scope of the work contracted to each of the three contracted experts was as follows:

• To attend a meeting at the EC in Brussels on 21-24/2/1994 with representatives of the national Chernobyl Committees of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
• To organise and carry out missions, of around 1 week duration each, to the three concerned countries in order to discuss with the policy makers in each country and to gather the required information to establish the programme
• To develop a detailed programme for the rehabilitation of the regions affected by the Chernobyl disaster. A list with a first selection of possible projects, having internal consensus between the concerned authorities as well as a regional consensus, will be prepared, from which projects to be financed from the €6 million made available under the TACIS 1993 budget would be selected.
• To prepare draft Terms of Reference ToR for projects selected for implementation, along with the comprehensive information required for launching the calls for tender.

The Consultant performed the work in accordance with the contract requirements. The programme was prepared, a number of projects were identified for potential inclusion in the TACIS 1993 programme and draft ToRs were developed. Draft ToRs for the following projects were prepared:

1. Thyroid Cancer Treatment Programme.
2. L-Thyroxine Tablet Forming and Packing.
3. Production of iodised salt.
4. Defining and initiating Business Development Agency in Gomel Oblast -.
5. Definition and implementation of a pilot project for the abstraction of groundwater for domestic potable supply.

Further work to complete the selected ToRs to a stage required for launch of the tender procedures was performed in a follow-on contract (see Contract 22782).