WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1731/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Inter-regional cooperation in the European Union to promote mutual cultural understanding
Date: 1998-06-05
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: European Regional Development Fund, European cooperation, Galicia, Spain, cultural cooperation, cultural heritage, language teaching, regional cooperation, regional language, university













EUR-Lex - 91998E1731 - EN






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91998E1731

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1731/98 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Inter-regional cooperation in the European Union to promote mutual cultural understanding  


Official Journal C 013 , 18/01/1999 P. 0071 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1731/98by Gerardo Fernández-Albor (PPE) to the Commission(5 June 1998)Subject: Inter-regional cooperation in the European Union to promote mutual cultural understandingThe University of Granada (Spain) has become the first in Andalusia to include Galician language and culture as an optional subject in its curriculum, with the idea of its becoming a subject which cements the ties between the two autonomous regions.In addition, under an agreement it signed with the regional government of Galicia, since this year the University of Granada has played host to a Galician Cultural Centre promoting the region's culture and customs.An agreement of this nature between two regions of the European Union on cultural cooperation is evidently an example to be followed in promoting mutual cultural understanding amongst Community regions. Can the Commission say, then, how it might participate in encouraging and consolidating this type of inter-regional cultural agreement, to enable regions to engage in mutually beneficial cultural exchanges?Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission(30 July 1998)As part of the cultural activity it has developed under Article 128 of the EC Treaty, the Community has a mandate to encourage cooperation between the Member States while fully respecting the subsidiarity principle. Internal Spanish initiatives aiming to promote knowledge of the language and customs of Galicia do not, therefore, fall within the Community's cultural remit, however interesting they may be.However, under its cultural programmes, particularly the Ariane(1) and Kaleidoscope(2) programmes, respect for regional diversity is one of the factors in the Commission's support for cultural cooperation projects, including the translation of contemporary literature written in national and regional languages.The Commission has now, for the first time, launched inter-regional pilot projects for culture as part of the programming under Article 10 of the European Regional Development Fund Regulation(3) for the period 1994-1999. However, it should be stressed that the main reason why these pilot projects are being launched is to help capitalise on a cultural heritage that is sometimes poorly exploited by disadvantaged areas in the Community, by helping these areas set up networks with other local and regional authorities for the purposes of sharing knowledge and experience, and promoting economic development. The pilot inter-regional cultural cooperation projects are part of this cohesion policy. None of the 32 projects currently running involves a language exchange.(1) OJ L 291, 24.10.1997.(2) OJ L 61, 12.3.1996.(3) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.