WRITTEN QUESTION E-0416/03 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Historical objects that belonged to André Breton.
Date: 2003-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, auction sale, competence of the Member States, cultural heritage, cultural policy, heritage protection

C 222 E/200

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

in the Baltic Sea in particular,

the Council conclusions noted the
As regards the transport of oil
Commission’s intention to take the necessary steps to ensure the participation of the adhesion countries
and other neighbouring countries, including Russia, in an agreement that heavy grades of oil should only
be transported in double-hull
for the
Commission’s efforts to investigate the potential for technical cooperation programmes to assist the
in their efforts to increase
neighbouring countries, among which Russia was particularly mentioned,
maritime safety and pollution prevention.

the Council expressed its support

In general

tankers.

terms,

In addition, on 9 December 2002 the Council
in the Council conclusions on the
Environmental disaster caused by the accident of the ‘Prestige’ agreed on the need to further strengthening
and improving the existing co-operation between the conventions for the protection of the marine
environment, such as Helcom. It also expressed the necessity to reinvigorate the environmental activities of
IMO aiming at reinforcing maritime safety and the prevention of pollution by tankers, and urged Member
States to play an active and coordinated role at the meeting of the Maríne Environment Protection
Committee (MEPC) of the IMO in July 2003.

(Environment)

As regards the interview of the Finnish News Agency with the appointed Executive Director of the
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA),
it is not within the Council’s competence to evaluate his
declarations.

(2003/C 222 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0416/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Historical objects that belonged to André Breton

(17 February 2003)

According to reports in the Greek press, the family of André Breton, the extremely important poet who
published the ‘First Manifesto of Surrealism’, has decided to auction off the objects from the apartment
where he lived until his death. The family has taken this decision following unsuccessful negotiations with
the French Government to turn the apartment into a museum.

The Breton collection includes books (many signed by Trotsky and Freud), correspondence, pictures by
surrealists such as Miró and Magritte, a huge number of photographs, which are considered by experts to
be unique documents in the history of surrealism, and hundreds of other objects. In total, there are 5 500
objects, with a value estimated at between EUR 30 million and EUR 40 million. André Breton is the man
who gave common European culture a different dimension. His work changed the status quo of the whole
spectrum of the arts, and is a highly significant reference point not only for French culture but for
European culture as a whole.

What does the Commission intend to do to protect the extremely important cultural estate of the great
European surrealist? How does it view the idea of buying the objects and placing them in some special
location, or even promoting the idea of creating a museum, which would in addition constitute yet
another element in a common European cultural identity?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2003)

The Commission would refer
Mr Borghezio (1)

(1) OJ C 137 E, 12.6.2003, p. 190.

the Honourable Member

to its answer

to written P-3289/02 by