WRITTEN QUESTION P-0861/02 by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European art market.
Date: 2002-03-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU market, United States, approximation of laws, artist's resale right, competitiveness, fine arts

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/21

membership in those bodies. The progress towards this target is monitored in the Gender Scoreboard
(produced as part of the Annual Report) and has shown a progression from 13 % to 28 % in 2001.

8. The importance of improving access for women to the labour market,

including to positions of
responsibility, has been carefully reflected in the recent report (2002) of the High Level Task Force on
Skills and Mobility and the Commission’s Action Plan for Skills and Mobility (5).

9. As part of the Framework Strategy on Gender Equality (6), the Commission is preparing a call for
tender in order to establish a database of regularly updated statistics on women in decision-making
industries’ and social partners’
positions in the economy and society with data on management,
organisations as well as major non governmental organisations (NGOs).

The Commission regrets the fact that it has taken 14 months to give a definitive answer to the Honourable
Member.

(1) Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on the establishment of a European Works Council or a
procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings for the purposes of
informing and consulting employees, OJ L 254, 30.9.1994.

(2) OJ L 80, 23.3.2002.
(3) Communication form the Commission to the Council, the Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the
the European Employment Strategy (cid:1)

the Regions (cid:1) Strengthening the local dimension of

Committee of
COM(2001) 629 final.

(4) COM(1999) 76 final.
(5) COM(2002) 72 final.
(6) Proposal for a Council Decision on the Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender

equality (2001-2005), OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.

(2003/C 52 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0861/02

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(20 March 2002)

Subject: European art market

if any,

is the European Commission proposing to take in response to the recent report
What steps,
commissioned by the European Fine Art Federation which shows that the European art market is losing
out to the United States?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2002)

The question asked by the Honourable Member concerns the report ‘The European Art Market in 2002’,
commissioned by the European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF).

According to TEFAF, this survey reveals (cid:1) among other positive contributions made by the art market (cid:1)
a ‘worrying decline in Europe’s share of the global market since 1998, which has fallen by 7,2 % in favour
of the United States’. This decline, according to the report, can be attributed (cid:1) among other things (cid:1) also
to the harmonisation of the resale right (Droit de Suite) at Community level.

The above report was commissioned by TEFAF with the support of other European organisations
representing some of the economic operators in the art market. Therefore, the economic and regulatory
analysis carried out in the report reflects a partial vision of the European Art Market, notably that of art
trade organisations like TEFAF.

C 52 E/22

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

With regard to the allegedly negative effects of the harmonisation of the resale right, the Commission
wishes to recall that the Resale Right Directive (1) is not yet in force and will not be until 1 January 2006.
In fact, the Directive has not yet brought about any change in the Member States. Furthermore, the
Directive provides for appropriate mechanisms aimed at preventing the displacement of sales of modern
art particularly in the highest price brackets outside the Community. Therefore, the claim that the Resale
Right Directive should be considered responsible for a ‘7,2 % drop in the European Art Market’ has no
basis, even less so if one considers that already nine Member States apply the resale right in practice.

Moreover, resale rights already apply in more than sixty countries world-wide. With a view to meeting any
perceived concerns regarding potential disadvantages for the European art market, the Commission is
committed under the Directive to seeking to further extend the application of resale rights at international
level.

Finally, in a report published on 28 April 1999 on the impact of Directive 94/5/EC (2), the competitiveness
of the Community art market compared to third countries’ art markets, the Commission found that the
adoption of this Directive had not had a significant impact on the Community art market and even that
the art market had boomed since the introduction of VAT on imports.

(1) Directive 2001/84/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the resale right for the

benefit of the author of an original work of art, OJ L 272, 13.10.2001.

(2) Council Directive 94/5/EC of 14 February 1994 supplementing the common system of value added tax and
amending Directive 77/388/EEC (cid:1) Special arrangements applicable to second-hand goods, works of art, collectors’
items and antiques, OJ L 60, 3.3.1994.

(2003/C 52 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0875/02

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(2 April 2002)

Subject: Government credit guarantees

In early 2000, the Commission halted the Swedish Government’s plans to grant credit guarantees to the
aircraft engine manufacturer Volvo Aero in Trollhättan which the Commission judged to be illegal.
The Swedish Government and Volvo Aero had to change their plans and discuss converting the credit
guarantees into conditional loans instead.

In 1995, however,
the Commission had approved the UK Government’s plans to grant similar aid
amounting to GBP 200 million to Rolls Royce to enable the company to continue developing the Trent
project.

What is the difference between these forms of aid? Why did the UK Government’s aid to Rolls Royce in
1995 receive Commission approval and the Swedish Government’s aid to Volvo Aero in 2000 not do so?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2002)

To the Commission’s knowledge the only state aid to the Volvo Aero company during the past five years
dates from 1997.

At that time, the Swedish Government notified the Commission of its plan to give the company credit
guarantees. In October 1998, the Swedish authorities withdrew the notification. The Commission therefore
took no decision, negative or otherwise.