WRITTEN QUESTION E-3879/02 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Launch of the trademark Made in Malaga.
Date: 2003-01-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU financing, Spain, craft production, marketing, trade mark

10.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 161 E/161

(2003/C 161 E/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3879/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Launch of the trademark ‘Made in Malaga’

(10 January 2003)

The trademark ‘Hecho en Málaga’ (‘Made in Malaga’) has been launched by a foundation and an association
of young artists and craftsmen from Malaga province (Spain), with the objective of boosting sales of local
craft products.

This initiative, which will provide a new impetus for the market in craft goods in the province, has
recently been presented to the public. It includes measures aimed at creating a cultural base for the export
of local artefacts to other regions of Spain and to European and world markets.

Can the Commission indicate what Community aids could be activated to benefit this initiative of the
Malaga craft sector, with a view to consolidating its incipient launch and helping the province’s young
artists and craftsmen build their future while dedicating themselves to their artistic specialities?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 February 2003)

The project the Honourable Member refers to could receive co-financing from the Structural Funds under
the integrated operational programme for the region of Andalusia in the period 2000-2006.

The Commission reminds the Honourable Member that, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, the
choice of projects eligible for co-financing is a matter for the Member State and depends, in particular, on
the selection criteria set out in the programming documents. It would be appropriate, therefore, to call on
the foundation and the association of young artists and craftsmen promoting the project
to seek
information from the Dirección General de Fondos Europeos de la Consejería de Economía y Hacienda de
la Junta de Andalucía, at the following address: Isla de la Cartuja, Edificio Torretriana, 5a planta, 41071
Seville.

At the same time, the Commission is providing funding for the Prodecom project under the Euromed
Heritage II framework programme, which seeks to mobilise the potential of the Euro-Mediterranean artistic
and craft cultural heritage by using the designation ‘local culture product’ intended to make it easier for the
quality and originality of craft products to be recognised. In the longer term, this initiative should facilitate
the marketing of craft products in Europe and worldwide. The project is being coordinated by the Chambre
des Beaux Arts de Méditerranée (59, rue Cambronne (cid:1) 75015 Paris (cid:1) mail to: ch.beaux.arts@wanadoo.fr).

(2003/C 161 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3886/02

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 January 2003)

Subject: EU decentralised bodies

The European Union has set up a number of decentralised bodies in many Member States and is planning
to set up others. Many of them, however, are not particularly productive despite their high operating costs
(salaries, outgoings for communications, translations etc.), and the millions of euros invested by the EU to
accommodate them in ultramodern premises.

Recently, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction located in Lisbon produced its
2002 annual report on the state of the drugs problem in the European Union and Norway which contains
a large amount of information on the subject and was also drafted in Greek. However, other organisations
such as, for example, the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen and the Cedefop in Thessaloniki
are not particularly active in their respective fields, remaining unknown even to the citizens of the Member
States in which they are situated.

The European Training Foundation (ETF) in Torino, which is concerned with vocational training (exactly
the same field as Cedefop), is targeting its activities on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe which
will within a few months, however, also be members of the EU. In view of this and the fact that the
Cedefop does not appear to be acquitting its task in such a way as to heighten its own profile or that of