WRITTEN QUESTION E-3689/01 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission. Destruction of the European cultural heritage: the case of Manises (Valencia, Spain).
Date: 2002-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community of Valencia, application of EU law, architectural heritage, environmental impact, heritage protection, town planning

C 172 E/114

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

(2002/C 172 E/118)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3689/01

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Destruction of the European cultural heritage: the case of Manises (Valencia, Spain)

The mayor of Manises (Valencia province, Spain) has, without supplying any rational planning grounds,
recently ordered the pulling-down of the wall which surrounds the local youth and cultural centre. This
wall is part of the historic complex of the Convent of the Carmelites, built in 1925. This proposal has been
the subject of complaints from associations and political parties, whose campaign is supported by local
residents. The citizens of Manises believe that the disappearance of this wall would be an act of ‘negation
of our history and destruction of our past and our heritage’. This is not the first act of vandalism
spearheaded by the mayor in recent months: in August 2000 he ordered the destruction of the perimeter
fence around Los Filtros, a gas filtering complex of interest to industrial archaeologists, and, shortly after,
authorised the levelling of a garden which had provided a ‘green buffer’ against airport noise but is now
the site of a residential development.

Although a number of Community instruments exist for the preservation of the historic, artistic and
the Treaty and Recommendation 75/65/EEC (1) 3 the
cultural heritage 3 including Article 151 of
management aspect remains almost exclusively the preserve of the Member States. This means that
whether or not a piece of our Community cultural heritage is preserved varies at random with the attitudes
of whoever happens to be in power. In the case of Manises, the present authorities are by no means always
in favour of the preservation of cultural objects that define the European identity.

The Commission has admitted to the author of this question (see answers to questions E-2416/00,
E-2417/00, E-2418/00 (2) and E-3846/00 (3), on the subject of the destruction of historic buildings in the
Cabanyal-Canyamelar quarter of Valencia city) that all actions or schemes affecting the cultural heritage fall
within the scope of Directive 97/11/EC (4), and that the local authorities concerned are therefore obliged to
carry out an ‘impact assessment’ (responsibility for implementing the above directive lies with the Member
States).

intervene to ensure that
Can the Commission state in what way it can, as guarantor of the Treaties,
national, local and regional governments take due account of the public’s concerns over the preservation of
the cultural heritage 3 as in the case of Manises and other cases reported in different parts of the
Community 3 and that Article 151 of the Treaty and Recommendation 75/65/EEC are complied with?

What action does the Commission intend to take to ensure that the Spanish state insists that its local
authorities operate a correct implementation of the impact directive with regard to the cultural heritage?

(1) OJ L 21, 28.1.1975, p. 22.
(2) OJ C 136 E, 8.5.2001, p. 31.
(3) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 61.
(4) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997, p. 5.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2002)

The provisions of Article 151 of the EC Treaty together with the Commission Recommendation 76/65/EEC
of 20 December 1974 to Member States concerning the protection of the architectural and natural
heritage (1) prevent the Commission from acting in the manner mentioned by the Honourable Member.

impact study, the Commission wishes to remind the
Furthermore, with regard to the environmental
Honourable Member that this was explained in the reply to her question E-3846/00 (2). In this case, the
decision on whether to carry out an environmental
‘impact assessment’ or not remains with Member
States, which may apply thresholds or criteria or take a decision on a case by case basis, but in all cases
will apply the criteria laid down in Annex III to Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (3), which
amends Directive 85/337/EEC.

(1) OJ L 21, 28.1.1975.
(2) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001.
(3) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.