WRITTEN QUESTION E-0065/01 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Celebration of the first centenary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi and the international recognition of the town of Busseto as the Verdian capital.
Date: 2001-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, Italy, competence of the Member States, cultural heritage, heritage protection, music

C 235 E/110

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0061/01 and E-0064/01

(14 May 2001)

During their discussions on the occasion of 22 January 2001 General Affairs Council, Ministers acknowl-
edged the great concern of the public opinion and expressed their commitment to seek full clarity on the
issue of depleted uranium.

There was general agreement that in the first instance it was for NATO, as the institution organising crisis
management in the Balkans, to assemble the information from participants on the use of depleted
uranium, on the locations of troops and on medical data. Ministers also called for full transparency and
open exchange of information between the authorities of the Member States, as well as with other
organisations investigating this matter.

As far as the Council is concerned, no scientific report has been presented that establishes a link between
these illnesses and the use of depleted uranium in munitions.

However, the Council noted that several bodies (UNEP, WHO, NATO, the committee set up by the
Commission) are currently examining this issue and the first reports are expected to be published within
the next few weeks. Once these reports are available, the Council has agreed to re-examine this issue in
order to assess whether any specific initiative or measures at EU level are warranted.

(2001/C 235 E/114)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0065/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 January 2001)

Subject: Celebration of the first centenary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi and the international recognition

of the town of Busseto as the (cid:145)Verdian capital(cid:146)

2001 is the first centenary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi, who was born in Busseto at a time when Italy
was not yet united politically and was therefore not yet divided up into provinces as it is now. Busseto,
ruled first by the Farnese family and then the Bourbons, had a tradition of self-government, being the
capital of a small sovereign state, the Pallavicino marquisate. This feeling of a small capital city still
prevailed when Verdi was born, and promoted his development as a man and a creative artist (under the
influence of his patron Antonio Barezzi and his teacher Ferdinando Provesi). Verdi continued his studies in
Milan (thanks to scholarships from the Monte di Piet(cid:224) in Busseto), where he became famous and where he
died and was buried. At the height of his success the composer returned to Busseto, where he spent most
of his long life. Despite this, the National Committee for the Verdi Celebrations has not envisaged
a representative of the commune of Busseto taking part and the multi-media and interactive opera
documentation centre, a kind of museum of music, which was originally to be located in Busseto in the
palace of the Pallavicino Marquises, has been set up in Parma in the Palazzo Cusani, which has no
connection with Verdi(cid:146)s life and history. Does the Commission not consider it fair to safeguard Busseto(cid:146)s
natural and historical right to be considered as the (cid:145)Verdian capital(cid:146), and raise the awareness of the Italian
Government, the Region of Emilia Romagna and the province of Parma, and does it not consider it
appropriate to condemn the fact that the National Institute for Verdi Studies is based in Parma, rather than
Busseto, and request that it be given its natural place in Busseto? Can it also say whether it is carrying out
any Community programmes that envisage restoring historic sites linked with all aspects of music?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 2001)

The questions raised by the Honourable Member on preserving the town of Busseto as (cid:145)Verdian capital(cid:146)
and on the location of the National Institute for Verdi Studies, are not within Community jurisdiction but
are solely a matter for the Member State in question.

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/111

With regard to Community programmes to restore historic monuments, the Commission would refer the
Honourable Member to the answer given to Mrs Muscardini(cid:146)s Written Question E-0030/01 (1).

In addition, as the year 2001 is the first centenary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi, the Commission would
like to draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that the (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146) (2) programme(cid:146)s call for
proposals for projects to be carried out in 2001 provides for funding to be awarded to three projects to
commemorate this anniversary. Conditions for participation in the programme,
together with the
application form, are available on the Europa server at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/index_en.html.

(1) See p. 95.
(2) OJ C 21, 24.1.2001.

(2001/C 235 E/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0076/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 January 2001)

Subject: Supplementary measures to restrict the transport of live animals and to improve checks on such

transport

1.
Does the Commission draw the conclusion from the (cid:145)Report from the Commission to the Council
and the European Parliament on the experience acquired by Member States since the implementation of
Council Directive 95/29/EC (1) amending Directive 91/628/EEC (2) concerning the protection of animals
during transport(cid:146) (3) that (cid:129) given the low priority assigned by Member States to transposition of the
Directive, the problems with transport from third countries and the fact that it is difficult to monitor
application of the existing rules (cid:129) supplementary measures are needed in the short term?

How does the Commission intend to bring about changes to the annual transport of 140 000 live
2.
horses for slaughter from Eastern Europe to the Member States of the European Union (cid:129) in particular
from Poland, the Baltic states, Hungary and Romania to Italy (cid:129) when there is inadequate protection in the
exporting countries and the transit countries and when the minimum standards of welfare applicable to
long-distance transport are not observed?

3.
Is the Commission considering reducing, and if possible completely terminating, the increase in the
maximum journey time of eight hours, permitted under Directive 91/628/EEC (provided special vehicles
food and drink), thereby adopting the important principle that
are used, there are resting periods,
slaughtering should take place within a certain distance and/or travelling time from the start of the
transport, or immediately on first entering a Member State of the European Union, so that the transport of
live animals can be entirely replaced with transport of meat?

4.
Pending any further scientific research into the transport of animals, and any review of transport
arrangements, and pending accession to the European Convention for the Protection of Animals during
International Transport (ETS 65), is the Commission prepared to take any action in the immediate future
towards restricting such transport?

5.
Is the Commission also prepared to make immediate improvements to monitoring of compliance
with the intention of existing rules, for example through a better exchange of information between the
Member States and by making it compulsory for recognised transport companies to be able, at any time,
to submit documentary evidence of their qualifications, the origin of their transport and the duration of
the journey etc.?

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 52.
(2) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.
(3) COM(2000) 809 final of 6.12.2000.