A4-0195/99

Resolution on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament entitled 'EXPO 2000 Hannover' (COM(99)0131 - C4-0153/99)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Communication from the Commission (COM(99)0131 - C4-0153/99),

- having regard to the decision of the International Exhibitions Bureau to organise a universal exhibition in Hannover from 1 June to 31 October 2000 on the theme 'Humankind - Nature - Technology',

- having regard to its resolution of 26 May 1989 on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on participation by the Commission in the 1992 Seville World Fair ((OJ C 158, 26.6.1989, p. 302.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 13 December 1990 on Commission participation in the 1992 Genoa International Exhibition ((OJ C 19, 28.1.1991, p. 283.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0195/99),

A. whereas more than one million people visited the European Union Pavilion at the Lisbon World Exhibition in 1998, and whereas between two and four million visitors may be expected to visit the Union Pavilion in Hannover,

B. whereas the European institutions have participated in sixteen universal or world exhibitions approved by the International Exhibitions Bureau since 1958, and whereas the participation of the European Union in such exhibitions held in the Member States makes ordinary people aware of the reality of European integration and of Europe's role in international relations,

C. having regard in particular to the experience acquired by the Union when it participated in the Genoa (1992), Seville (1992) and Lisbon (1998) Exhibitions,

D. whereas it is important that, in the EU Pavilion, the European Union should be represented by its most significant institutions in a balanced fashion and that the European Parliament should be assigned the position which it merits,

E. whereas the participation of the European Parliament in EXPO 2000 Hannover will enable visitors to the European Union Pavilion to learn more about the only Community institution elected by direct universal suffrage; whereas such participation will enhance popular knowledge of its role within the Union through the organisation of seminars, colloquia and other activities, and through contacts with young people and opinion multipliers (journalists, eminent politicians, and leading figures in socio-economic circles and the arts),

F. whereas the Universal Exhibition will be held against the backdrop of the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, a treaty which strengthens the powers and responsibilities of the European Parliament in the interinstitutional structure, and wherever the citizens of Europe will have cast their votes in the European elections being held from 10 to 13 June 1999 in order to determine who will be their legitimate representatives at European level,

G. whereas the year 2000, a symbolic date which marks the end of the century and the beginning of the new Millennium, will provide the European Union with an opportunity to affirm and disseminate the values of civilisation on which it is founded: democracy, tolerance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights,

H. whereas the end of the century and the beginning of the new Millennium should provide an opportunity for the reaffirmation of the principle of solidarity and for the promotion of all the projects implemented as part of the central theme of the Exhibition ('Humankind - Nature - Technology'), the object of which is to give tangible form in the world outside the Exhibition to the ideas underpinning it,

I. whereas the European Union, itself on the threshold of a new stage in European integration (introduction of the single currency, implementation of Agenda 2000, enlargement to include the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and the increasing globalisation of the economy, including the industrial and financial markets), is already involved in a number of ways in the theme of 'Humankind - Nature - Technology', one of the major challenges to which it will have to respond,

J. whereas the central theme of EXPO 2000 Hannover is based on an awareness that interaction between humankind, nature and technology must be well-balanced and harmonious, since that is a precondition for sustainable development and a quality of life that is accessible to everybody,

K. whereas the theme of 'Humankind - Nature - Technology' is at the heart of the policies pursued by the European Union, whose citizens wish to see a fair balance struck between the requisite protection of the environment, further technological development in society and an improvement in the quality of life, and whereas the European Union must maintain its solidarity with third countries, in particular by helping the ACP States to participate in this Exhibition,

L. whereas the European Parliament must therefore deliver its opinion on EXPO 2000 Hannover, as it did for the Genoa and Seville Exhibitions, and on the financial and human resources to be allocated thereto,

1. Welcomes the fact that one of the Member States of the European Union will be hosting the Universal Exhibition in 2000, a symbolic date for humankind, and that it will be held in Hannover, a city famous for its modern outlook and for technological development;

2. Welcomes the high rate of participation in such an Exhibition by all the Member States and by third countries;

3. Welcomes the fact that all the pavilions of the European Union and of the Member States at EXPO 2000 Hannover will be built close together on a 'Community' site (Europe Boulevard) which will symbolise European unity, the focus of which will be European Union Pavilion;

4. Takes the view that it is entirely appropriate, on the eve of the third millennium, for EXPO 2000 Hannover to be devoted to the theme of 'Humankind - Nature - Technology', given the impact of the new technologies on humankind and its environment;

5. Believes that 'North-South Solidarity', 'Social Justice' and 'Respect for Cultural Diversity', essential components of the central theme of 'Humankind - Nature - Technology', should also be envisaged as sub-themes;

6. Welcomes the European Union's intention, in cooperation with the organisers of EXPO 2000 Hannover and in conjunction with the Association of German Savings Banks, to promote the single European currency, given that Monetary Union was launched on 1 January 1999 and that euro banknotes and coins will be in circulation as from 1 January 2002;

7. Welcomes, in particular, the implementation of a pilot project being carried out as part of the information campaign on the euro which is designed to increase visitors' awareness of the new technologies and the single currency by enabling them to use an electronic payment card denominated in euros;

8. Notes the proposals being drawn up by the Commission on the manner in which it intends to develop the theme of EXPO 2000 Hannover and to organise information activities with the cooperation of the European Parliament and other Community institutions;

9. Calls on the Commission to devise and to implement a detailed programme of activities, in cooperation with the European Parliament and with the other Community institutions represented in Hannover;

10. Calls for the establishment, in the planning of European Union activities and events, of cooperation between the Hannover Universal Exhibition and the European Cities of Culture in 2000 so that ordinary people may be made more aware of the reality of European integration and of the role played by the European Union on the world stage;

11. Calls on the European Union to ensure greater and specific awareness, both in the planning of its activities and in its information and communication strategy, in order to ensure the participation of large sections of the population;

12. Emphasises that the proposed budget indicates a reference amount of EUR 15 440 000 and notes that that amount is the minimum which is to be made available, otherwise the preparations for participation in the Exhibition within the time-limits laid down, the attainment of the objectives set and the spin-off expected from this event will be seriously compromised; the complementarity funding to be provided by the budget 2000 will be determined by the budgetary authority taking into account the anticipated positive aspects of the interinstitutional cooperation;

13. Takes the view that private-sector sponsorship should be broadly endorsed with respect to various aspects of the European Union's participation in EXPO 2000;

14. Points to the responsibility falling on DG X as regards the coordination of measures, while ensuring that the European Union is represented in a coherent and comprehensive manner, and recommends firstly the putting in place at an early date of the Commission's Interservice Task Force, and secondly the creation of a working party between the appropriate services of Parliament and the Commission and the other Community institutions which will be represented in Hannover which must begin work immediately so as to ensure that the European Union will indeed be represented at EXPO 2000 Hannover;

15. Calls on the Commission to keep the European Parliament and, in particular, its appropriate committee, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media, regularly informed about the programme of activities that it or the other Community institutions represented in Hannover devise;

16. Takes the view that the participation of the European Parliament in EXPO 2000 Hannover will only be effective if the staff it seconds to work in Hannover have sufficient independent funds for them to ensure that an infrastructure will be set up that will be able to make ordinary people aware of the role and task of the European Parliament in European integration;

17. Points out that in the field of information and communication as well as public events, the Commission is implementing EU funding for EU citizens and that therefore, the budget allocation foreseen by DG X should cover Parliament's requests and presence in the Expo;

18. Believes, with that in mind, that it would be sensible for emphasis to be placed on the work of the European Parliament on environmental protection and public health, education, job-creation and measures to combat unemployment, support for artistic creation and the promotion of the audiovisual sector, particularly through the presentation of projects involving bilateral cooperation and youth exchanges;

19. Instructs the appropriate services in its Secretariat, in cooperation with their counterparts in the Commission, to draw up a programme of European Parliament activities and events for EXPO 2000 Hannover;

20. Hopes sincerely that EXPO 2000 will serve as an interface with other events such as the Olympic Games which are taking place at the same time;

21. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council, and to the commissioners of the participating Member States responsible for EXPO 2000 Hannover.