by electronic mail to:

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas

cc. EU Vice-President Margot Wallström

Dear Commissioner,

THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY OF THE DANUBE DELTA BIOSPHERE RESERVE MUST BE PRESERVED INTACT

Over the past 2 years conservationists worldwide have lent their support to Ukrainian campaigners in order to prevent the building of a deep-water Danube - Black Sea canal through the core area of the UNESCO Danube biosphere reserve region, which is a part of the Ukrainian-Romanian Danube Delta  bilateral reserve.

RAMSAR and UNESCO studies have concluded that the realisation of such a project in the reserved zone will result in irremediable environmental damage to a significant part of the area. This will have serious consequences for the habitats and survival of many protected and endangered species of flora and fauna.

The previous European commission was very active in its efforts to persuade President Leonid Kuchma's administration to stop the planned project until a full and independent environmental impact study was completed. Sadly these efforts were not met with cooperation from the Ukrainian side.

As new EU Commissioner for the Environment, we urge you to take up this matter urgently with President Viktor Yuschenko and his new government appointees. We are confident that, if the President redeems his election promises, and introduces more transparent, democratic and pro-European policies, further inroads into the core area of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve can be prevented and an environmental disaster avoided.

Yours sincerely,

[Name and Address]