WRITTEN QUESTION No. 627/99 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI Community funds and 'Sviluppo Italia'
Date: 1999-03-12
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: Italy, State aid, Structural Funds, competition, dominant position, holding company, services contract

21.12.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 370/75

Community rules also exist in respect of dogs used for experimental and scientific purposes covered by
Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative
provisions of the Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other
scientific purposes (2).

As for the Honourable Members’ question on breeding of dogs, reference has to be made to the national
legislation of the Member States, as this area lies within the competence of the Member States. Therefore
the Commission does not have the intention at the present time to propose special legislation in the area
of dog breeding.

(1) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991.
(2) OJ L 358, 18.12.1986.

(1999/C 370/104)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0626/99

by Umberto Bossi (NI) to the Commission

(12 March 1999)

Subject: Restoration of the Tower of Pisa

Could the Commission state whether European funds have been used for the various programmes of
restoration work on the Tower of Pisa?

If they have, could it provide details of the amounts involved, the type of funds used and the schedule of
payments?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 1999)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that the tower of Pisa has received two financial
contributions in the framework of the Commission’s action and programme in favour of the preservation
of architectural heritage of exceptional importance.

A financial contribution of € 50 000 was granted in December 1997 for the realisation of methodological
research on the most appropriate restoration method to preserve the stones, which have suffered by the
eight centuries long and anomalous conditions of the monument due to its inclination. This financial
contribution was not in any way linked with the works concerning the static problems of the tower.

The good results achieved through this research are applicable to intervention methodologies for other
monuments throughout Europe. This first experimental step convinced the Central restoration institute of
Rome and the University of Pisa, through the committee for the safeguard of the Tower, to put forward a
proposal for a European restoration laboratory in the framework of the Raphael programme. The proposal
was approved at the end of 1998 in the amount of € 271 327 (a first instalment has been paid, and the
second and final instalment will be paid on completion of the project by the middle of the year 2000).

(1999/C 370/105)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0627/99

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(12 March 1999)

Subject: Community funds and ‘Sviluppo Italia’

As is widely known, Legislative Decree 1/99 provides for the setting up of a holding company, Sviluppo
Italia, and the transfer thereto of Government shares in companies that are already operational in order to
create a single group with the aims laid down in Article 1 of that decree. The legislative decree also
provides for the subdivision of activities into ‘development services’ and ‘financial services’, for which two
companies controlled by Sviluppo Italia will be responsible.