WRITTEN QUESTION P-1321/02 by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission. European funding for cultural projects.
Date: 2002-04-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, culture, eligibility criteria, terms for aid, vessel

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/203

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

Standardisation is a voluntary process in which the parties involved agree on European standards within
independent bodies; CEN, Cenelec and ETSI. CEN and Cenelec have decided to produce these standards in
their three working languages (English, French and German). Some standards (called harmonised standards)
are the preferred, but not exclusive, means of complying with Community directives.

It should be noted that the costs of translating standards into these three languages are borne by the
national standardisation bodies concerned (Afnor, DIN, BSI) and that the Commission makes no financial
contribution whatsoever to these translations.

Since 1986, the Commission decided to partly finance translations into other Community languages in
order to speed up the process of having these standards transposed by the national standardisation bodies
and, ultimately, to facilitate the implementation of the directives concerned. There is thus clearly an
advantage given to the ‘small countries’ through the creation of the single market, including in the field of
construction given as an example by the Honourable Member.

Given that the budget for standardisation has been substantially reduced in recent years, the Commission
intends to focus its financial support on priority actions, in accordance with the Parliament and Council
resolutions of 1999. Since it also has to take into account, or indeed anticipate, the effects of enlargement
on the budget for standardisation in view of the probable accession of more than ten new Member States,
the Commission proposed that funding for these translations should end in 2003.

Finally, the translation of European standards cannot be compared to the translation of directives, since the
former are still applied on a voluntary basis, whereas the latter are compulsory.

The Commission has nevertheless stated that it is prepared to study any solution which CEN and Cenelec
might propose for future years within the limits of the budgetary resources currently available. In order to
curb expenditure, one solution would be to allocate, as of 2003, an annual financial package as the
framework within which the national standardisation organisations would set their priorities in terms of
translating European standards.

(2002/C 229 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1321/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(29 April 2002)

Subject: European funding for cultural projects

In the context of the cultural promotion of the city of Antwerp, local interest groups are considering
launching a mobile maritime-cultural project. The project involves a cargo ship, which is to be converted
and used as a backdrop for cultural events, with particular emphasis on the performing arts.

The plan is to give the project a European dimension by taking the ship to municipal cultural events in
Europe’s leading ports.

I would like to know whether a project such as this can be considered for co-financing under the Culture
2000 action programme. In view of its important socio-economic impact and cross-border character, I
would also like to know if this project could also be considered for co-funding under other Community
programmes, such as, for example, Interreg.

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2002)

A Community subsidy for cultural projects can be granted under the Culture 2000 programme, whose
aims include enhancing the common cultural area as well as ensuring respect for, and promoting, cultural

C 229 E/204

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

diversity. Through this programme, the Community supports projects that provide genuine European
added value,
i.e. projects involving aims, methods and types of cooperation that are not purely local,
regional or even national in scope and which are designed to have an impact at European level.

To meet the European added value requirement, the programme clearly stipulates that Community support
can only be given for projects involving the participation of cultural organisations from at least three of
the countries that are allowed to take part in the programme. This financial support is given on the basis
of specific calls for proposals which indicate the general requirements to be met by projects, eligibility and
exclusion criteria, the procedure and criteria for selecting projects, and the financial and contractual
obligations to which candidates will be subject.

The call for proposals concerning the implementation of the Culture 2000 programme in 2003 should be
published in the Official Journal of the European Communities in the second quarter of 2002. In addition,
this call will be placed on the Commission’s Internet site at http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/eac/
index_en.html, where the Honourable Member will also be able to find full details of the programme.

As regards participation in the Interreg programme, the Commission would like to point out that the
project in question does not meet the conditions specified for the programme, which was established to
promote cooperation between regions and requires that projects be submitted by a number of cross-border
or transnational partners.

(2002/C 229 E/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1324/02

by Helle Thorning-Schmidt (PSE) to the Commission

(2 May 2002)

Subject: Danish Football Association (DBU) rules on non-EU citizens

Two Danish football clubs, AB and Vejle BK, met on 14 April 2002. AB, who were leading 4-0, brought
on a Polish player when they already had three non-EU players on the pitch. Under DBU rules, a team is
allowed to field only three non-EU players, and the substitution was therefore against DBU rules.

As a result, AB lost the match 0-3 on the basis of an administrative ruling.

However, the European Union has an association agreement with Poland, pursuant to which Polish
workers lawfully resident in an EU Member State have equal status with EU workers.

Will the Commission therefore confirm whether or not a Polish footballer is to be regarded as an EU
worker in the footballing context under the association agreement?

Will it also explain which rules take precedence if EU and DBU rules conflict with one another as regards
the nationalities whose holders are to be counted as non-EU citizens?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 2002)

As regards nationality clauses in the rules of sporting associations, the Commission wishes to refer to the
judgement of the European Court of Justice in the Bosman-case (1) in which the Court held that Article 39
(ex Article 48) of the EC-Treaty precludes the application of rules laid down by sporting associations
limiting the participation of players who are nationals of other Member States.