EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 33/44

(2004/C 33 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0485/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(20 February 2003)

Subject: Centenary of the first flight by the Wright Brothers — Funding of a project in Eastern Europe

In June 2003 the Aero Club di Latina flying and parachuting school plans to organise a major cultural event, with the patronage of the Italian Prime Minister and air force, namely an air cruise, on the occasion of the centenary of the Wright Brothers' first flight, along the same lines as the cruise once embarked on by Italo Balbo in the eastern Mediterranean.

The event will include a variety of celebrations, involving complex organisational arrangements, which will focus not only on the United States but also on those countries, such as Italy, which have made a special contribution to the history of aviation.

The Aero Club di Latina initiative is intended to be one of the most significant events not only because of its historical and commemorative value, but also on account of its decision to fly towards Eastern Europe and the capitals of countries which will shortly join the European Union, as a welcoming gesture to these countries and a sign of interest and openness on the part of the Member States.

The cruise's stopping points will be the major cities of the forthcoming and future enlargement countries, i.e. Istanbul, Odessa, Budapest, Sofia, Burgas, Arad, Bucharest, Zagreb and Zara. Participants will thus have an opportunity to visit and become more familiar with some of the most significant aspects of Eastern European culture, which is due increasingly to become a part of EU culture.

In view of the project's special relevance, in particular with a view to Eastern Europe's cultural and social integration, and given that the EU has set up a wide range of funding programmes for this very purpose, including Sapard, ISPA and many others for small-scale projects, will the Commission provide the following information:

1. would the above project be eligible for EU funding through any of these programmes?

2. can the EU sponsor the operation in any other way?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2003)

The programmes referred to by the Honourable Member (Sapard, ISPA) are pre-accession instruments covering investment in transport and environment infrastructures, and in the agricultural and rural development sectors. Under the Phare instruments, no other possibilities exist. As to the Prince programme, it has to be dedicated in priority to the information needs of the citizens of the present Union. It must be added that no project can be financed outside an existing programme with a corresponding budget line.

To the knowledge of the Commission, there is at present no programme allowing to finance such project.

At the present stage of the project and its content, the Commission considers that commemorating this event is therefore a matter for the associations and organisations in the private sector related to aeronautics.

The Commission, in handling requests of this nature, recalls that pre-accession assistance available for the benefit of the candidate countries is not intended to be tailored to projects originating outside the candidate countries which have no bearing on their pre-accession needs.