WRITTEN QUESTION E-2509/97 by Ernesto Caccavale (UPE) to the Commission (22 July 1997)

Subject: Kaleidoscope funding and Southern Italy

Official figures supplied by the Commission show that an extremely low percentage of funding under the Kaleidoscope programme is allocated to cultural organizations in Southern Italy. For example, the 'Festival delle Torri' held at Cava de'Tirreni was automatically selected and subsequently excluded from financing. The official justification given by the Commission is that financial resources were limited.

Can the Commission say whether dancing, theatre and folklore as instruments of cultural exchanges between European nations are excluded from the category of initiatives covered by the Kaleidoscope programme?

Can it also say whether the funds allocated for the promotion of culture must be directed towards recipients which are already adequately provided for under a number of initiatives or whether it might not be more appropriate to target different regions and new cultural initiatives where the need to promote European culture is felt more strongly?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission. (12 September 1997)

Of a total of 198 projects submitted by a main organiser in Italy for the Kaleidoscope programme in 1997 19 projects (18, Action 1; and 1, Action 2) were selected for the sum of ECU 1 019 945, the second highest amount in percentage terms in relation to total funding.

With specific reference to the Mezzogiorno, although only 4 projects were selected, this figure has to be compared with the number of projects submitted and the number short-listed on the basis of the formal criteria for the same region (38 and 23 respectively).

In other words, for the Mezzogiorno 17.39% of the projects short-listed were selected compared with only 12.5% for Italy as a whole.

In order to improve the flow of information throughout the Member States where this level of imbalance still exists to a greater or lesser extent, the Commission has proposed that a network of information relays be set up on a voluntary basis in the Member States. Italy is one of the Member States which have accepted this offer.

Decision No 719/96/EC establishing a programme to support artistic and cultural activities having a European dimension (Kaleidoscope) ((See in particular Article 2 and point 2(a) of Action 1 (description of the objectives and the areas of the arts covered by the programme):OJ L 99, 20.4.1996. )) clearly shows that the disciplines listed by the Honourable Member are in no way excluded from the programme. Far from it. The Commission would emphasise that of a total of 128 projects in 1997, 41 focused on dance and theatre and 46 on music and opera. Moreover, five of these projects focused on folklore, one of the many aspects of these disciplines.

Finally, the Commission would point out that the criteria for the selection of projects for this programme (based on Article 128 of the EC Treaty), which are published in the Official Journal ((OJ C 298, 9.10.1996. )), are purely artistic and cultural and do not give any priority to specific regions. This regional dimension is the prime concern of other Community funds and policies, in particular regional policy.