GRS 410 RESTRICTED
FM PARIS
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 514
OF 161718Z MAY 86
RESTRICTED
Han 166/1
нии
'RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
19 MAY 1986
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
INFO SAVING ATHENS, BONN, UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS, COPENHAGEN
INFO SAVING DUBLIN, LISBON, LUXEMBOURG, MADRID, ROME, THE HAGUE
INFO SAVING MOSCOW, DELGRADE, BUCHAREST, BUDAPEST, PRAGUE, SOFIA
INFO SAVING WARSAW
YOU TELNO 180 \\TO ROME
CHERNOBYL: EC BAN-ON FOOD FROM EASTERN EUROPE
1. PUBLISHED DETAILS ABOUT LEVELS OF RADIOACTIVITY IN EAST EUROPE HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO THOSE AVAILABLE FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES, EG
SOVIET SPOKESMEN AND THE IAEA'S FIGURE OF 0.33 MILLERONTEGEN/HOUR -
60 KM FROM CHERNOBYL. THEY HAVE NOT (NOT) BEEN GIVEN PROMINENT PRESS
COVERAGE.
2. PUBLIC REACTION UNTIL NOW HAS BEEN CONCERNED MAINLY WITH THE LACK OF DETAIL ABOUT THE ACCIDENT FROM THE SOVIET UNION AND THE SPARSITY OF INFORMATION ABOUT ITS CONSEQUENCES IN FRANCE. THERE HAS BEEN VERY
LITTLE PUBLICITY ABOUT EAST EUROPEAN PRODUCE.
3. THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON 13 MARCH THAT SPINACH GROWN IN ALSACE WOULD BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE MARKET BECAUSE BATCHES HAD EXCEEDED WHO'S NORM OF 2000 BQ/KILO HAS, HOWEVER FOCUSSED ATTENTION ON THE POSSIBILITY OF HOME-GROWN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES BEING CONTAMINATED. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTS OF CAULIFLOWERS BEING DESTROYED IN BRITTANY BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTIES OVER MARKETING THEM IN THE FRG.
4. LEADING FARM ORGANISATIONS ARE CALLING FOR A CLEAR STATEMENT BY
BOTH THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE EC ABOUT THE RISKS TO CONSUMERS FROM
PRODUCE GROWN IN MEMBER STATES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT CURRENT DISQUIET IS WITHOUT FOUNDATION BUT CONSUMER RESISTANCE IS BEGINNING TO SHOW UP IN THE FALL IN PRICE OF SOME FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN LOCAL
MARKETS, PARTICULARLY IN EASTERN FRANCE.
5. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND IT SEES AT PRESENT UNLIKELY THAT THE
FRENCH WILL BE READY TO RELAX THE BAN ON EAST EUROPEAN IMPORTS
BEFORE THE 31 MAY.
FRETWELL
FRAME
ECD (E)
NED EED
GENERAL
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