WRITTEN QUESTION E-0012/02

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(23 January 2002)

Subject: MEDA funding and culture

The MEDA I and MEDA II regulations make express provision for the promotion of cultural cooperation as part of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. To date this policy has been implemented through the Heritage programme, which primarily focuses on the partners' cultural heritage and architectural traditions.

In view of the current political situation, which makes mutual comprehension and the strengthening of relations between the peoples of the European Union and the partner countries a necessity, does the Council believe that a new programme for cultural cooperation should be designed and implemented, dealing with the dissemination of art, history, philosophy and religion? If so, does the Council think that new structures and opportunities should be created to enable Euro-Mediterranean cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation to gain renewed impetus and drive and to become a factor contributing to rapprochement, trust and stability in the region?

Reply

(13 May 2002)

1. The Council fully supports the Honourable Member's suggestions. Indeed, at the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting in Brussels on 5 and 6 November 2001, the Ministers acknowledged the importance of the Barcelona Process as a relevant and recognised instrument for promoting a dialogue of equals between cultures and civilisations. They agreed to continue to combat all forms of racism, religious prejudice and stereotyping and to work on deepening the existing dialogue between cultures and civilisations, focusing on youth, education and the media.

Regarding the Heritage programme specifically, the Ministers noted the progress made and the launching of the second phase of the programme at the beginning of 2001. Accordingly, at the end of December 2001 eight projects totalling around EUR 17 million were signed, and are shortly to be implemented. Those projects involve a very wide range of activities such as, for instance, development of the cultural heritage, the common cultural memory, exploitation of know-how networks, the common musical heritage, the cultural legacy, including prehistory, and the promotion and awareness of the single heritage and the introduction of new information and communication techniques.

2. Cultural cooperation is one of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency, which is intending to submit a framework programme to encourage a dialogue between cultures and civilisation centred on youth, education and the media, for adoption by the Valencia Ministerial Conference.

In particular:

- regarding youth, the Commission's efforts to launch the second stage of the regional Youth programme will be supported;

- regarding education, there will be enhanced cooperation between universities on both sides of the Mediterranean, via extension of the Tempus programme to the Mediterranean partners, help in updating university syllabuses and encouragement in the training and exchange of lecturers;

To that end, a Euro-Mediterranean Foundation should be created covering mainly primary and secondary education, with an independent structure geared particularly towards promoting the use of new technology;

- regarding the media, a regional information and communication programme will be lauched to raise the profile of the Process.

Lastly, a seminar is to be organised in Vienna on 3 June 2002, on the role of the Euro-Mediterranean media, in order to analyse the perceptions that partners have of one another and to suggest possible paths of action for inclusion in the future regional communication and information programme.