Background

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 (see contracts 22540, 22541 and 22552). By the end of the contracts, draft ToR for five projects had been 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.

Objective

In September 1994, the EC organised a meeting with the experts involved in the preparation of the programme and draft ToR and one further independent expert, contracted to review and provide recommendations to the further ToR development. A further contract was then issued to finalise the development of selected ToRs to a stage required for the launch of tender procedures for contracting each of the selected projects (see Contract 22782).

The present contract covered the additional independent expert to review the draft ToRs and provide feedback and recommendations at the aforementioned meeting.

Results

The contract was signed in August 1994 and the work was completed by September 1995.

The Consultant performed the work in accordance with the contract requirements.