WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Protection and restoration of historic buildings.
Date: 2001-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, EU programme, Structural Funds, architectural heritage, heritage protection

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/95

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2001)

1.

The Commission was not aware of this situation.

2.
There are no Community provisions in the field of taxation, which prohibit the application of
charges such as this (cid:145)industrial contribution(cid:146) as it has been described in the question. Article 90 (ex Article
95) of the EC Treaty concerns the prohibition to apply taxes discriminating against products from other
Member States, which is not the case here. Furthermore, Article 3(3) of Council Directive 92/12/EEC of
25 February 1992 on the general arrangements for products subject to excise duty and on the holding,
movement and monitoring of such products (1) provides that Member States may introduce or maintain
taxes on other products than those subject to harmonised excise duty (mineral oils, tobacco products and
alcohol and alcoholic beverages), provided that those taxes do not give rise to border-crossing formalities
in trade between Member States. Finally, this contribution does seem to respect Article 33 of the Sixth
VAT Directive, Council Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonization of the laws of the
Member States relating to turnover taxes (cid:129) Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of
assessement (2), which provides that Member States may maintain or introduce any taxes, duties or charges
which cannot be characterised as turnover taxes. As to this last provision, reference should also be made to
the judgment of the Court of Justice in case C-318/96, which ruled that Article 33 of the Sixth VAT
Directive does not preclude a levy such as the Austrian (cid:145)Kammerumlage(cid:146), which is payable by members of
chambers of commerce whose turnover exceeds a certain amount.

Consequently, possible distortions of competition to the disadvantage of Italian producers of frozen

3.
food can only be eliminated by the Italian authority or body imposing this (cid:145)industrial contribution(cid:146).

(1) OJ L 76, 23.3.1992.
(2) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977.

(2001/C 235 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(17 January 2001)

Subject: Protection and restoration of historic buildings

A few years ago the Commission (DG X) was in charge every year of managing a programme to protect
the architectural and artistic heritage which contributed, albeit partially, to saving many historic monu-
ments from neglect and degradation. The recent (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme does not seem to aim at the
same objectives. Are there any other sources of funding, programmes or initiatives aimed at protecting and
restoring historic buildings worthy of conservation and use as art training establishments?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 2001)

The Honourable Member is referring to the Raphaºl programme, the purpose of which was to support
projects promoting the conservation, safeguarding and development of the European cultural heritage by
means of European cooperation, to support exchanges of experience and the development of measures in
the field of cultural heritage, and to improve public access to, participation in and awareness of cultural
heritage.

The (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme, while building on the previous programmes (Raphaºl, Kaleidoscope and
Ariane), both rationalises and strengthens the Community(cid:146)s cultural activities.

C 235 E/96

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

As far as heritage is concerned, the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme seeks to promote (cid:145)sharing and highlighting,
at the European level, the common cultural heritage of European significance; disseminating know-how
and promoting good practices concerning its conservation and safeguarding(cid:146) (1). This involves supporting
(cid:145)projects of cooperation aimed at conserving, sharing, highlighting and safeguarding, at the European level,
the common cultural heritage of European significance(cid:146) (2) (Action 1), (cid:145)enhancement of cultural sites and
monuments within the Community with a view to raising awareness of European culture(cid:146) (3) (Action 2),
and (cid:145)support for projects (cid:133) involving the conservation and safeguarding of the cultural heritage of
outstanding importance which contributes to development and dissemination of innovative concepts,
methods and techniques at a European level and which can be described as (cid:147)European heritage
laboratories(cid:148) (cid:146) (3) (Action 3).

The Commission would also draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that the call for
applications for the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme in respect of projects to be launched during 2001 indicates
that support will be awarded to approximately 55 projects (within the three categories of actions) (cid:145)aiming
to highlight common European cultural heritage (movable and non-movable heritage, architectural and
archaeological heritage)(cid:146) (4).

The (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) programme is the only measure in the field of cultural cooperation whose purpose,
among other things, is to safeguard Europe(cid:146)s cultural heritage.

However, as provided for in Article 151(4) (ex Article 128) of the EC Treaty, (cid:145)the Community shall take
cultural aspects into account in its action under other provisions of this Treaty(cid:146). As a result, almost all
parts of the Community budget contain measures which can have or actually have a cultural element. As
far as heritage in particular is concerned, mention should be made of measures which fall within the remit
of regional policy and research policy.

for example,

the new Structural Funds Regulation recognises the
As regards the Structural Funds,
importance of the cultural dimension of life in promoting cultural development, and in this context, the
new Regulation on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) explicitly states that cofinancing is
possible for cultural projects (cultural tourism and job creation, investment, systems for the management
and modernisation of cultural services and the enhancement of cultural heritage). By way of example, the
Commission would draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that the operational plans of
Greece and Portugal for ERDF 2000-2006 earmark investments of € 334 million (of which € 250 million
from the ERDF) and € 260 million (of which more than € 187 million from the ERDF) respectively for the
development of cultural and historical heritage.

One of the priorities of the Leader+ initiative (as part of the European Agricultural Guidance and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)) is to make the most of natural and cultural resources.

Finally, the guidelines produced by the Commission for the Community initiatives Interreg III and Urban II
provide for the promotion of the environment and the sound management of the cultural heritage
(Interreg III) and the regeneration of existing structures and the preservation and development of the
historical and cultural heritage (Urban II).

In the field of research, the 5th Community framework programme for research and technical develop-
ment features, as part of the energy, environment and sustainable development programme, the measure
(cid:145)The city of tomorrow and cultural heritage(cid:146), which includes, among other things, an approach entitled
(cid:145)Protection, conservation and enhancement of European cultural heritage(cid:146).

(1) Decision No 508/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 February 2000 (OJ L 63,

10.3.2000).
(2) See above page 5.
(3) See above page 6.
(4) OJ C 21, 24.1.2001.