WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2805/96 by Bárbara DÜHRKOP DÜHRKOP to the Commission. Protection of the European architectural heritage and promotion of railway stations of artistic interest
Date: 1996-10-25
Institutions: DUEHRKOP DUEHRKOP, European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, architectural heritage, heritage protection, rail transport, transport infrastructure













EUR-Lex - 91996E2805 - EN






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91996E2805

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2805/96 by Bárbara DÜHRKOP DÜHRKOP to the Commission. Protection of the European architectural heritage and promotion of railway stations of artistic interest  


Official Journal C 091 , 20/03/1997 P. 0038 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2805/96 by Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (PSE) to the Commission (25 October 1996)Subject: Protection of the European architectural heritage and promotion of railway stations of artistic interestSince 1984 the Commission has been stimulating the protection of our architectural heritage through a highly popular measure (support for pilot projects to conserve the European architectural heritage), which has since 1989 been devoted to a specific theme for each phase of the programme: religious monuments, theatres, historic gardens, farm, craft and industrial buildings, etc. This measure is also supported by national, regional and local administrations and enjoys public backing, as it makes it possible to identify the shared roots of our peoples' culture.What ideas does the Commission have for themes which might be the subject of future phases?In this context, the transformation of the rail system in Europe (introduction of high-speed trains, closing of branch lines, etc.) is leading to railway stations of great artistic interest being used for other purposes or closed down. The example of the old Orleans station in Paris, now the Orsay museum, might provide inspiration for other old stations under threat, which are often the most characteristic buildings in many cities and towns. In other cases, such as Lisbon's Rossio station, these buildings are still being used for their original purpose. New stations worthy of admiration such as Lyons station and London's Waterloo are also being built. Railway stations have a vocation to unite European cities and towns and many of them are highly interesting examples of avant-garde architecture.Does the Commission consider that a future phase of the programme to protect the European architectural heritage might be devoted to Europe's train stations?Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (16 December 1996)The Commission shares fully the Honourable Member's concern and conviction as to the importance of the preservation of Europe's architectural heritage in general and of the nature, character and purpose of railway stations of architectural importance in particular. It is in this context that, since 1984, the Commission has implemented its pilot actions in favour of the protection of architectural heritage by concentrating, each year, on a specific theme of interest.Railway stations have indeed been restored with the Community help in the past, like the Temple Mead station in Bristol, United Kingdom (1985), the Railway museum in Kalamata, Greece (1991) and the reception building of Dresden station in Germany (1992).Any future action in the field of cultural heritage protection and preservation will be considered in the framework of the Raphael programme, which it is hoped will be adopted and implemented in the next few months. It is in this context that themes will be decided for the next few years.Given the importance of the theme proposed by the Honourable Member, the Commission will gladly take it into consideration in due course and when it is time to formulate its proposals for future themes within the framework of the Raphael programme.