WRITTEN QUESTION E-2417/99 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU sponsorship for digitalising mediaeval manuscripts and incunabula.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU sponsorship, cultural heritage, cultural policy, cultural transmission, digitisation, electronic publishing, multimedia

C 225 E/130

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.8.2000

On 22 October 1999, Sweden notified the reduced social contributions aid scheme for North Sweden. This
scheme reduces the employers(cid:146) social contributions in North Sweden. Sweden justifies the reduction in the
social contributions as a compensation for the additional
the companies
concerned.

(cid:145)distance related costs(cid:146) of

The Commission is now examining whether this second transport aid scheme is justified. In this context it
has asked Sweden to demonstrate that the reduction of the employers(cid:146) social contributions does not over-
compensate the additional transport costs incurred by the companies concerned. The Commission is
awaiting a reply to this question from the Swedish authorities.

(1) Commission notice concerning an amendment to Part II of the communication on the method for the application

of Article 92(3)(a) and (c) to regional aid, OJ C 364, 20.12.1994.

(2) OJ C 74, 10.3.1998.

(2000/C 225 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2417/99

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: EU sponsorship for digitalising mediaeval manuscripts and incunabula

The University of Granada (Spain) has just published a CD ROM of the interactive multimedia digitalised
version of the priceless Codex Granatensis, written by a Belgian monk in the 13th century and beautifully
copied and illustrated by a German master c. 1425.

The beauties of this fragile volume, hitherto known only to a tiny number of specialists, are now accessible
to anyone willing to part with 1 500 pesetas.

In view of the success of this experiment, would the Commission be prepared to sponsor a programme for
making the treasures contained in mediaeval codices and incunabula available to the public in interactive
multimedia form?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2000)

The Honourable Member requested information about whether the Commission would be prepared to
sponsor a programme for making mediaeval codices and incunabula available to the public in interactive
multimedia form.

The Commission can only sponsor cultural initiatives as part of and in accordance with the criteria of its
existing programmes. In this context, the Commission would like to draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s
attention to the fact that a call for proposals relating to the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) first framework programme will
be launched at the beginning of this year. Once it has been officially adopted, it will be published in the
Official Journal and on the Internet. The Commission remains at the Honourable Member(cid:146)s disposal,
framework
should he require further information. An explanatory document on the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146)
programme has been sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

In addition to the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme, access to Europe(cid:146)s cultural heritage in multimedia form is
also included in the IST (Information Society Technologies) programme of the European Union(cid:146)s Fifth RTD
Framework Programme. In the Key Action (cid:145)Multimedia Content and Tools(cid:146), the work programme for 2000
provides for support for research projects aiming to improve access to scientific and cultural collections.
Detailed information on the IST programme and the relevant calls for proposals can be found on the
Cordis website (www.cordis.lu/ist/).