WRITTEN QUESTION P-1760/98

by Paul Lannoye (V) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: ERDF financing of the EMAHL (Liège Art and History Museum Grouping) project

In 1996 the Commission approved a Liège-based Walloon Region (Belgium) project designated EMAHL (Ensemble Muséal d'Art et d'Histoire de Liège) and aimed at federating various Liège museums for tourism purposes (ERDF Objective 2).

The project was approved in two stages:

- Stage 1 (1994-1996): Bfrs 100m in European financing allocated for the construction of a contemporary building as the link between the different museums;

- Stage 2 (1996-1997): to have been devoted to restoring old buildings.

The stage-1 deadline for invitations to tender was fixed as 31 December 1996 and the deadline for submitting invoices as 31 December 1998. The stage-2 deadline for invitations to tender was fixed as 31 December 1999.

In January 1997 the Belgian State Council withdrew building permission from stage 1. A new building permit was also withdrawn in December 1997. Early in 1998, DG XVI announced a new deadline of 31 December 2001 for submitting invoices in respect of all stages. The project has since been suspended, even although demolition work had already begun, thereby jeopardizing both buildings and art collections.

Can the Commission state:

1. What was approved by the ERDF, and in what amounts, in respect of stage 1 (construction) and stage 2 (restoration)?

2. Whether stage-2 subsidies (restoring old buildings) could be awarded without waiting until stage 1 (construction) had been started, with stage-1 subsidies being maintained subsequently (the original stage-1 tendering deadline of 31 December 1996 notwithstanding)?

3. Whether the two stages are financially independent or whether - if stage-1 financial allocations were exceeded - transfers to stage 1 of appropriations originally earmarked for stage 2 might be possible?

4. What stage-2 (restoration) projects have been submitted by the Walloon Region to the Commission, and in what amounts?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(24 June 1998)

1. - work relating to the EMAHL complex aimed at combining the resources of various museums is described in two Objective 2 "Meuse-Vesdre" single programming documents (SPDs):

- the project described in the Objective 2 SPD for the period 1994-96 provides for the clearance of the site by carrying out the necessary demolitions, the acquisition of an adjoining building, the construction of a building intended to house the reception services of a modern tourist centre as well as multipurpose rooms, and the creation of access. Its public cost is estimated at BEF 285 million and includes funding of BEF 114 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

- the project described in the Objective 2 SPD for the period 1997-99 will permit the renovation of the listed buildings (museums as well as empty buildings or buildings occupied currently for other purposes), the creation of access and the construction of new buildings in Féronstrée. Its public cost is put at BEF 275 million, the ERDF contribution amounting to BEF 110 million.

2. In view of the scope and diversity of the planned measures, it is conceivable that work on the two projects described above cannot be started simultaneously. Subsidies for the first project have been maintained in view of the fact that contracts were awarded within the prescribed limits.

3. The two projects are included in different operational programmes. Consequently, funds cannot be transferred from one project to the other.

4. In the implementation of operational programmes part-financed by the ERDF in Wallonia, the monitoring committee is responsible for the approval of projects. The second project was submitted to the monitoring committee by the Walloon Region on 18 November 1997 and was approved by the committee.