WRITTEN QUESTION E-2810/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 October 2001)

Subject: EU policy on cultural affairs

The Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture is staffed in general by competent, permanent, temporary and auxiliary officials. Commissioner Reding has shown herself to be particularly committed to protecting Europe's cultural heritage

but she is not responsible for the composition or structure of the DG's staff, many of whom had been appointed before she took up her duties. Despite the efforts being made, however, there is a feeling that the Commission spends much of its time continuously deliberating over the financial aspects of culture, paying scant attention to promoting the uniting features which the people of the member States have in common (manners and customs, traditions, history, linguistic characteristics, etc.), which would be instrumental in promoting a European cultural identity.

How many ethnologists, historians, archaeologists, sociologists, anthropologists and philologists work in the Education and Culture DG? What is the proportion of experts in those disciplines in relation to the total number of permanent, temporary and auxiliary staff working in that DG?

Is it a condition of employment in the Education and Culture DG to have an academic or professional background in the above disciplines?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2001)

The typology of Community cultural activities is defined by the EC Treaty, more specifically by Article 151 (ex Article 128), which describes the Community's role as follows:

- encouraging cultural cooperation between Member States;

- supporting and supplementing (financially if necessary) their action in the following areas:

1. improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the European peoples;

2. conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance;

3. non-commercial cultural exchanges;

4. artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector.

The Commission is implementing these objectives mainly via the Culture 2000 programme (established by a Decision of the Parliament and the Council) and by supporting and encouraging reflection on various areas of culture(1).

The Commission is perfectly well prepared for carrying out these tasks which, for the Culture 2000 programme in particular, involve ensuring proper implementation and administration.

In addition, for the management of this same programme, particularly during the project selection and evaluation phases, the Commission uses experts in the various disciplines who are selected from lists provided by the Member States(2).

Moreover, in promoting cultural reflection, the Commission regularly consults cultural operators throughout Europe, including the applicant countries. For example, it is currently organising a Forum on cultural cooperation in Europe, which will be held in Brussels on 21 and 22 November 2001.

(1) http://europa. eu. int/comm/culture/index_en. html.

(2) For example, in the last two financial years (2000 and 2001) the Commission has been able to rely on the opinions of 120 experts in the various areas (the performing arts, fine arts, literature, literary translation, heritage, cultural history, etc.).