WRITTEN QUESTION No. 53/98 by Markus FERBER to the Commission. EU assistance for research in the Bayerisch- Schwaben region
Date: 1998-01-29
Institutions: European Parliament, FERBER
Subjects: Bavaria, EU Member State, EU aid, EU financing, aid recipient, disclosure of information, regions of Germany, research and development, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 223/94

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

17. 7. 98

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 1998)

The Commission can confirm to the Honourable Member that it has no intention of proposing the abolition of
VAT on works of art.

One  of  the  driving  forces  behind  the  adoption  of  the  VAT  provisions  for  the  internal  market  was  to  obviate
tax-based  distortions  of  competition.  The  adoption  of  the  7th  VAT  Directive  (Council  Directive  94/5/EC  of
14 February 1994 supplementing the common system of value added tax and amending Directive 77/388/EEC ›
Special  arrangements  applicable  to  second-hand  goods,  works  of  art,  collectors(cid:146)  items  and  antiques) (1)  was
another step in this direction. It must be borne in mind that under the current VAT arrangements, purchases of
works of art by Community residents attract VAT whether they are purchased within the single market or outside
it. Similarly, no VAT is charged where works of art are sold in the Community for export to third countries.

The purpose of the proposal to harmonise Community artists(cid:146)resale rights (droit de suite) is to put an end to
various  kinds  of  discrimination  and  inequality  of  treatment  which  currently  exist  across  the  Community  for
visual artists and to allow them to achieve parity with other categories of creative artists such as writers and
music composers who could expect ongoing copyright royalties.

The  Commission  is  aware  of  the  fears  which  have  been  expressed  by  the  British  art  trade  in  relation  to  the
possibility that vendors may transfer their sales from London to New York. The Commission has undertaken to
examine the impact of the relevant provisions of the 7th Directive on the competitiveness of the Community art
market compared to third countries. Preliminary work has already begun on this commitment, and a final report
should be available by the end of this year.

(1)  OJ L 60, 3.3.1994.

(98/C 223/119)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0053/98

by Markus Ferber (PPE) to the Commission

(29 January 1998)

Subject: EU assistance for research in the Bayerisch-Schwaben region

Can  the  Commission  provide  the  following  information  on  the  level  of  EU  assistance  for  research  and
development (R and D) in the Bayerisch-Schwaben region in 1997:

1.

How much assistance was provided for R and D in Bayerisch-Schwaben in 1997?

How much Community assistance was provided for R and D in comparable regions of other Member States

2.
in 1997, and for what measures?

How  much  assistance,  broken  down  by  types  of  contractor  (universities,  research  institutes,  SMEs,

3.
large-scale industry, etc.), was provided for R and D in the various German La¤nder in 1997?

How many applications for R and D assistance, broken down by types of programme and EU Member

4.
States, were received in 1997?

For what percentage of the applicants for R and D assistance did SMEs account in the Community and

5.
Germany in 1997?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 1998)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its findings as
soon as possible.