GRS 200
CONFIDENTIAL
FM MADRID
CONFIDENTIAL
TO DESKBY 1909OOZ FCO
TELNO 400
OF 16115OZ MAY 86
INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, MOSCOW, WARSAW, BELGRADE, BUCHAREST
INFO PRIORITY BUDAPEST, PRAGUE, SOF▸HA
[FRAME GENERAL] (52
TO TROME
YOUR TELNO 180 TO
EUROPE
CHERNOBYL: EC BAN ON FOOD FROM EASTERN
1. NO (NO) DATA ABOUT THE LEVEL OF RESIDUAL RADIATION IN EASTERN
EUROPE HAS AT ANY TIME BEEN PUBLICISED HERE. WE UNDERSTAND FROM
THE APPROPRIATE SPANISH NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITIES THAT THE REASON
FOR THIS IS THAT THEY ARE NOT/NOT GETTING SUFFICIENT DATA FROM ANY
EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRY EXCEPT HUNGARY.
2.
نے
WHILE PUBLIC INTEREST IN, AND CONCERN OVER, THE EFFECTS OF THE ACCIDENT WERE VERY GREAT IN THE INITIAL STAGES, THIS HAS DECREASED
CONSIDERABLY DURING THE PAST WEEK OR SO. PEOPLE HAVE BECOME MORE
AND MORE REASSURED AS MORE INFORMATION HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO
THEM ABOUT ANY RADIOACTIVITY IN SPAIN, BY THEIR OWN AUTHORITIES.
THERE HAS HARDLY BEEN ANY INCREASE IN RADIOACTIVITY IN SPAN AND
SPANISH FRESH FOOD IMPORTS FROM EASTERN EUROPE ARE VERY SMALL.
3. WE DO NOT/NOT THINK THAT THE SPANISH PUBLIC OPINION WOULD BE A MAJOR OPPONENT OF ANY RELAXATION OF THE BAN, (THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT
MIGHT BE INCLINED TO SAY SO IF IT SUNTED THEIR INTERESTS). BUT
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS COULD LEAD SPAIN TO OPPOSE
ANY RELAXATION UNTIL THEY HAD RELIABLE SCIENTIFIC DATA ON RESIDUAL
RADIATION IN EASTERN EUROPE.
GORDON LENNOX
FRAME GENERAL
ECD (1)
ним 166
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
19 MAY 1986
INL.
ACER
TRY
an
NED
EED
CONFIDENTIAL