WRITTEN QUESTION E-0329/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Recognition by Unesco of olive and olive oil routes as the fourth cultural heritage route.
Date: 2003-02-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Mediterranean region (EU), Unesco, cultural heritage, heritage protection, olive, olive oil, powers of the institutions (EU)

C 33 E/38

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

takes place. According to Article 31(2) of the Statute of the ESCB all other operations in foreign reserves
remaining with the NCBs shall, above a certain limit, be subject to further approval by the ECB to ensure
that these operations will not interfere with the monetary and exchange rate policies of the euro area.
Transactions undertaken by NCBs in fulfilment of their obligations vis-à-vis international organisations,
such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), are exempt
from this requirement.

The amount of reserves held by NCBs that could be used in transactions is limited, because Council
Regulation (EC) No 1010/2000 of 8 May 2000 concerning further calls of foreign reserve assets by the
European Central Bank (1) provides the ECB with the option to ask for the transfer of additional foreign
reserve assets. The type of reserves that can be considered for transactions is also subject to a constraint,
the 1999 Central Bank Gold Agreement. Among its signatories are the ECB and 11 euro area NCBs (all
except the Bank of Greece). They agreed not to sell gold for five years (until September 2004 with a
possible extension) unless such sales had already been planned before. Furthermore, operations in foreign
reserves are subject to all other parts of the legal framework of the euro area, in particular to Article 101
(central bank financing of the budget) and to Article 7 of the Protocol on the Statute of the ESCB
(independence).

The Member States do not have foreign reserves at their disposal for transfers between the NCBs and the
national governments for budgetary purposes.

(1) OJ L 115, 16.5.2000.

(2004/C 33 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0329/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 February 2003)

Subject: Recognition by Unesco of ‘olive and olive oil routes’ as the fourth cultural heritage route

Unesco has already received proposals from many quarters that it should sponsor the ‘olive and olive oil
routes’ by officially proclaiming them the fourth world cultural heritage route.

Events along the ‘olive and olive oil routes’ are organised every year by various bodies (cid:1) such as chambers
of trade, local councils and agricultural associations (cid:1) following an itinerary which starts in Greece, passes
along the Turkish coast and through the countries of the Middle East and North Africa and returns via
Spain, Portugal, France and Italy to the Peloponnese. Along this route there are cultural activities and
demonstrations focused around the theme of olives.

Olives and olive oil are not only prized by Mediterranean peoples for their gastronomic and therapeutic
qualities but have also influenced their lives over thousands of years, in terms of their daily routines,
customs, beliefs and religion; the olive-branch has prevailed as the global symbol of peace. In view of these
facts, is the Commission intending to back the proposal for Unesco recognition of the ‘olive and olive oil
routes’ in its meeting next May? If so, how is it intending to do so?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2003)

The Commission, while acknowledging the historical, cultural and economic significance of olives and
olive oil for Europe, would draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that it has no competence
to intervene in decisions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).