WRITTEN QUESTION E-0880/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(21 March 2003)

Subject: Creation of a special fund for the safety of historic buildings proposal by Lazio Regional Council

At the extraordinary meeting chaired by the chairman Francesco Storace and held in Brussels on 21 November 2002 in the presence of the President of the Commission Romano Prodi, Lazio Regional Council considered the question of stabilising and improving safety standards for the buildings which make up the region's historical and cultural heritage.

The Region is starting a campaign to ascertain whether public buildings meet standards regarding earthquake resistance, in particular buildings of historical and cultural importance, but in view of the inadequate resources available for the purpose and recent tragic events which highlighted the issue of safety as regards earthquake hazards even in areas defined as low-risk the regional government decided to ask the EU to set up a special fund, possibly to be co-financed by the Region, to carry out the relevant measures.

The category of public buildings of historical and cultural importance is not explicitly covered in the document DOCUP Lazio for Objective 2, 2000-2006, nor can it be covered by the Lazio section of the EAGGF. It would therefore be appropriate for the Union to make provision for an ad hoc fund to assist this initiative.

In view of the earlier question of 20 November 2002 on the containment of earthquake hazards in the Region of Lazio and the answer by Commissioner Wallström, in which she stated that the Commission was interested in any proposal submitted by regional authorities regarding changes to the current operational programme (DOCUP), in order to focus the resources available, can the Commission say:

1. whether existing resources available on the basis of programmes already approved can be redirected to Lazio Regional Council's initiative;

2. whether measures designed to prevent the risk of earthquake damage, in particular to buildings of historical and cultural value, are already envisaged;

3. whether a special ad hoc fund for historic buildings can be set up;

4. whether it has in its possession any studies on the subject?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2003)

For the period 2000-2006 the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is part-financing the Lazio Region single programming document (SPD), measure I.1 of which has a budget allocation of EUR 55 million and covers structural soil-protection operations aimed inter alia at preventing natural disasters. The operations are intended, in particular, to enable consolidation of soil on slopes and of water management.

With more specific regard to buildings of historic interest, measure III.2 has a budget allocation of EUR 111 million and provides under priority III (development of local systems) for part-financing measures to preserve and categorise property of touristic and cultural interest, which could also cover securing buildings.

Carrying out these operations is the responsibility of the regional authority, which as the managing authority for the programme is responsible, in particular, for selecting projects. The Commission would therefore request the Honourable Member to ask that authority for more detailed information on this.

Nor does the Commission possess specific studies on safeguarding buildings of historic and cultural interest against earthquake risk. It does not envisage setting up a special fund for such buildings, since the Structural Funds' programming provides sufficient scope for the regions to meet this type of need.

It should also be noted that for a number of years the Commission has been assigning to the European Committee for Standardisation (ECS) the task of drawing up and publishing a set of 56 standards known as Eurocodes, which are intended to enable building and civil engineering structures' mechanical resistance and stability to be verified. Of those standards, the EN 1998 series deal specifically with the design of structures for earthquake resistance. Five of the six standards on this have now been technically completed and are ready for the formal voting procedure.

Once voted on, the standards will be made available by the ECS. The Italian standards body (UNI) will have the opportunity to comment on the drafts.

Although the texts are not yet final, the Honourable Member could therefore obtain the draft standards referred to above from the Italian authorities.