RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE  25 February 2000

EU SAYS HUNGARY SLOW TO REPORT CYANIDE SPILL. EU Environment
Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said on 24 February that
Hungary was slow to inform the EU about the full extent of
the cyanide leak that has affected the Tisza and Danube
rivers, Hungarian media reported. Wallstrom said the incident
would not delay Hungary's EU accession but added that the
grace period given to Hungary to meet EU environment criteria
must be kept to a minimum. She criticized the fact that the
European Commission still has not been officially informed of
the damage, and she noted that during her visit to Hungary
and Romania last week, local residents also complained about
a lack of information. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry denied
the claim, saying that EU officials in Brussels were informed
on 10 February. MSZ

MAVERICK ROMANIAN SENATOR JOINS OPPOSITION PARTY. George
Pruteanu, who was expelled from the National Peasant Party
Christian Democratic (PNTCD) in March 1998 for his opposition
to improving the education rights of the Hungarian minority,
said on 24 February he has joined the opposition Party of
Social Democracy in Romania. Also on 24 February, the PNTCD
suffered yet another defection when deputy Lia Galic resigned
from its ranks. And former Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu
said he is resigning all his positions in the PNTCD but will
remain a party member. MS

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