GRS 250 CONFIDENTIAL
FM DONN
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 412
OF 16170OZ MAY 36
82
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, MOSCOW, BELGRADE, DUCHAREST,
INFO PRIORITY PRAGUE, SOFIA, WARSAW, EAST PERLIN
LIED PR19RITY EUROPEA
62
COMMUNITY POSTS
BUDAPEST
YOUR TEL NO 190 NO 32ME: CHERNOBYL: EC DAY ON FOOD FROM EASTERN
EUROPE
1. AS FAR AS WE CAN ASCERTAIN NO HARD DATA ON CONCENTRATION AND CONTAMINATION LEVELS FOR EASTERN EUROPE HAVE APPEARED IN THE GERMAN MEDIA. THE FEDERAL INTERIOR MINISTRY (BMI) APPARENTLY HAVE AVAILABLE SOME DATA FOR ALL EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GOR. THESE DATA HAVE ONLY RECENTLY BEEN COLLATED AND ALTHOUGH BKI HAS SO FAR MADE NO EFFORT TO PUBLICISE THEM THEY ARE NOT BEING KITHELD FROM THE PUBLIC. FOR THE GDR ESTIMATES BASED ON CORRELATIONS WITH MONITORING DATA FROM STATIONS NEAR THE INNER GERMAN BORDER, VEST BERLIN AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR POLAND AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA ARE
PEING MADE.
2. CHERNOBYL, ITS RADIOLOGICAL IMPACT AND OTHER IMPLICATIONS CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR NEWS ITEM. PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS WHILST NOT AT THE ACUTE LEVEL OF LAST WEEK REMAINS HIGH. WITH THE PEDUCTION OF ACTIVITY LEVELS FOR IODINE 131 THE PUBLIC IS BEGINNING TO REGARD CONTAMINATION OF FOODSTUFFS BY LONGER LIVED ISOTOPES AS CONSTITUTING A RISK. WHENEVER THE PAN IS LIFTED SUSPICION ABOUT THE WHOLESOMENESS OF FOOD STUFFS FROM EASTERN EUROPE
IS LIKELY TO REMAIN.
3. WE THEREFORE AGREE AS FAR AS THE FRG IS CONCERNED, IT IS MOST UNLIKELY THAT A RELAXATION OF THE BAN BEFORE 31 MAY OR AHEAD CF
AVOUR. OTHER MEMBER STATES WOULD FIND PUBLIC
BULLARD
FRAME
ECD (E.)
NED RED
fr Hnn 16611
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 19 MAY 1986
DESK OFFICER
GENERAL
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
CONFIDENTIAL
}
Page 180Page 181