WRITTEN QUESTION No. 120/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Participation in the Santiago Year
Date: 1998-01-30
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: Catholicism, EU aid, European Regional Development Fund, European symbol, Galicia, architectural heritage, cultural event, customs and traditions, improvement of housing













EUR-Lex - 91998E0120 - EN






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91998E0120

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 120/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Participation in the Santiago Year  


Official Journal C 223 , 17/07/1998 P. 0117 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-0120/98 by Gerardo Fernández-Albor (PPE) to the Commission (30 January 1998)Subject: Participation in the Santiago YearThe Santiago Year, 1999, will again offer an opportunity for many Community citizens to travel to the shrine of the St. James, continuing a century-old tradition which helps to strengthen the cultural roots underpinning the European spirit.The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a spiritual need felt by many citizens of our Union to help find themselves and to affirm their roots and beliefs which enable them to identify themselves with the European culture underpinning their own principles.Does the Commission think that the new Santiago Year, 1999, would be a suitable opportunity for the European executive to participate in some way in the renovation of pilgrims' hostels, upgrading their facilities, helping in this manner to improve the accommodation infrastructure for citizens who expect a show of support from the European Union for this tradition offering a universal view of our civilization identifying it with Europe, its culture, its beliefs and its spirituality.Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (13 March 1998)The Commission thanks the Honourable Member for the information about the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.For several years the Commission has been providing practical support for the restoration of a number of buildings along the pilgrimage route, recognising its great historic and symbolic importance.A clear example of the Commission's support is the aid assigned to measure 2.2.3 under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme for Galicia 1994-99, which will provide the 'Consorcio Santiago' with funding amounting to ECU 31.96 million, out of a total planned investment of ECU 44.09 million. The Consorcio has been established by national, regional and local authorities involved in promoting and coordinating the activities and management necessary to prepare the city of Santiago de Compostela for the Santiago Year (1999) and its shared title of Cultural Capital of Europe in the year 2000.The activities cofinanced by the ERDF include improvement of the urban road system, tourist and sports facilities, renovation of the historic centre, restoration of monuments and facades, environmental measures for the rivers Sar and Sarela and for Monte Pedroso, as well as publications of a scientific and cultural nature.In future, projects to preserve and protect the cultural heritage that qualify as 'European heritage laboratories' will have to be submitted by the Member States and form the subject of specific applications to the Commission under the Raphael programme.