Joint Report of the International Coordinated audit of Chernobyl Shelter Fund

Report ID: 219

On April 26, 1986, the worst accident in the history of civilian nuclear power occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, where an explosion destroyed the core of reactor Unit 4 containing approximately 200 tons of nuclear fuel. The explosion and heat from the reactor core propelled radioactive material as much as six miles high, where it was then dispersed mainly over 60,000 square miles of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Smaller amounts of radioactive material spread over Eastern and Western Europe and Scandinavia and were even detected in the United States.

The Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF) was founded at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 1997 aimed at financing Shelter Implementation Plant (SIP).The Fund is guided by the set of rules regarding its resource management. Contributor Governments, mainly of G-7 and European Union, contribute to the Fund. The Assembly of Contributors supervises SIP implementation progress.

The Initial SIP costs were estimated at about USD 758 million (about EUR 585 million 4) in 1997. In 2003 and 2004 technical uncertainties and delays in the SIP fulfilment became apparent, especially with the construction of NSC, which resulted in cost escalation to EUR 840 million. The causes of those cost increases and the resulting need for additional steps to control cost and time overruns were discussed at all level including the Assemblies of Contributors. All G-85 Governments agreed to increase the scale of CSF.

Such increase was tied to the requirements to be fulfilled by Ukraine, including improvement of management, removal of procedural obstacles and timely delivery of Ukraine’s contributions. Thus, as of January 2006 estimated total costs were EUR 955 million and term for SIP completion was extended from 2005 to 2010.

Due to failure in timely realization of SIP, in 2006, the Special Subgroup on the Audit of Natural, Man-caused Disasters Consequences and Radioactive Wastes Elimination of the EUROSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing decided to conduct an international coordinated audit of the Chernobyl Shelter Fund.

The aim of the audit was the establishment of actual state of affairs regarding legal, organizational and financial support of decommissioning the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) and transforming destroyed CNPP Unit 4 into an environmentally safe system by fulfilling the Shelter Implementation Plan.

Source: http://old.ac-rada.gov.ua/img/files/auditeurosai1.pdf

Joint Report of the Paralllel Audit to the implementation of the NATURA 2000 NETWORK in Europe

Report ID: 271

Natura 2000 is an EU wide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive.

As stated in the European Commission strategy to protect Europe's most important wildlife areas, the aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It comprises Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated by Member States under the Habitats Directive, and Special Protection Areas (SPA) designated under the 1979 Birds Directive.

From february to october 2007, the SAIs of Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, and United Kingdom participated in the audit, coordinated by the French Cour des Comptes with the technical  assistance of the European Court of Auditors.

The scope of the audit on implementation of the European Natura 2000 network was to  examine whether and how the provisions of the European Directives, and especially Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, were observed in an effective and efficient way. The audit examined three key elements, namely compliance, governance and funding.

Lights on in the Nordic countries - Nordic cooperation in electricity emergency preparedness (Abstract)

Report ID: 368

In 2008, the  national audit offices of Finland, Denmark and Norway conducted a parallel audit, in order to examine Nordic cooperation in electricity emergency preparedness to respond to large-scale disturbances in the grid and to repair damage effectively. The audit also examined national preparedness for emergencies in electrical supply and emergency planning. 

The national audit offices of Finland, Norway and Denmark concluded that there is not sufficient cooperation among the Nordic countries regarding preparedness to repair serious damage to the grid. Consideration should be given to whether repair preparedness cooperation in case of a serious disturbance in the Nordic electrical system should be given priority and strengthened as part of Nordic electricity emergency preparedness. In the national audit offices' opinion, consideration should also be given to linking the responsible national authorities more clearly to Nordic electricity emergency preparedness.

The document contains a summary of the main results of the audit.

Source: https://www.vtv.fi/app/uploads/2018/07/09131416/lights-on-in-the-nordic-countries-176-2008.pdf