WRITTEN QUESTION P-1496/03 by Florence Kuntz (EDD) to the Council. Safeguarding the Iraqi archaeological heritage.
Date: 2003-04-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Interpol, Iraq, Unesco, archaeology, cultural heritage, cultural object, illicit trade, museum, the EU's international role, war

26.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/99

Finally, in reply to the last question put by the Honourable Member, the Commission has in fact
3.
presented to the Council a proposed amendment to Regulation No 1258/99 on the financing of the CAP
extending from 24 to 36 months the period during which adjustment of expenditure can be applied.
The Council bodies examined this proposal, most recently on 7/8 October 2002, and were unable to agree
to it.

(2004/C 51 E/110)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1493/03

by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission

(2 May 2003)

Subject: Invitations to tender and the Bornholm ferry route

The Danish government has issued a proposal to invite tenders for the future ferry service to the Danish
island of Bornholm. One reason the government gives for its proposal is that EU rules require Denmark to
open up ferry and other services to competition.

Which article of which regulation or directive requires Denmark to issue an invitation to tender for the
ferry service to Bornholm? I should like a definitive answer as to the conditions under which subsidies can
be granted to ferry and transport services to island regions such as Bornholm.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 2003)

Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 3577/92 of 7 December 1992 applying the principle of freedom
to provide services to maritime transport within Member States (maritime cabotage) (1) stipulates that a
Member State may conclude public service contracts with shipping companies participating in regular
services to, from and between its islands. The same Article provides that whenever a Member State
concludes public service contracts,
it must do so on a non-discriminatory basis in respect of all
Community shipowners.

To ensure that this principle is observed, the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport (2)
stipulate that reimbursement of operating losses incurred as a result of fulfilling public service obligations
need not be notified to the Commission provided that the authorities concerned organise a public tender,
that the successful tender is, in principle, the one requiring the lowest financial compensation and that
such compensation is limited to covering operating losses incurred as a result of fulfilling the public
service.

These rules were designed for transport to/from/between islands of the same Member State.

(1) OJ L 364, 12.12.1992.
(2) OJ C 205, 5.7.1997.

(2004/C 51 E/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1496/03

by Florence Kuntz (EDD) to the Council

(24 April 2003)

Subject: Safeguarding the Iraqi archaeological heritage

The bombs that have been raining down on Mesopotamia since 20 March and the destruction and looting
of the Baghdad Archaeological Museum remind us that Iraq’s archaeological heritage has since 1991 been
in peril.

Apart from the destruction of archaeological sites during the Gulf War there has been the looting, the
departure of foreign archaeological missions, the abandonment of digs and trafficking with the West in
stolen property.

C 51 E/100

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

The American military campaign of the past three weeks has brought about the collapse of the Iraqi
regime. In the absence of a government, one can only wonder who is now protecting the seven national
museums and some 10 000 archaeological sites throughout the country.

How does the European Union wish to show its support for the Iraqi people and help them protect their
exceptional heritage?

How does the European Union intend to mobilise the Member States against the illegal trade in stolen
property?

Reply

(29 September 2003)

The Council is strongly concerned about the tragic destruction of cultural goods, archaeological sites and
monuments of irreplaceable historical value in Iraq, and the vandalism and looting of the museums and
libraries of vital importance not only to Iraq but to the whole world.

The 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of
ownership of cultural property and the 1995 Unidroit Convention on stolen or illegally exported cultural
objects provide a global
is
centralising and distributing the relevant information and has set up a special website with recently stolen
works of art.

legal basis for fighting the illicit

transfer of cultural property.

Interpol

The Council (Culture) at its meeting on 6 May agreed unanimously on a declaration in which it stressed in
particular the need to protect in an efficient way the cultural goods of Iraq and to return the objects
illegally removed from museums or archeaological sites, and in which it declared the European Union’s
active support of Unesco’s related initiatives and actions.

The Council informs the Honourable Parliamentarian that it is through the Member States full cooperation
within the Interpol framework that stolen works of Iraqi art, may be found and returned.

(2004/C 51 E/112)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1502/03

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(5 May 2003)

Subject: Portability of bank account numbers

The portability of mobile phone numbers can be described as a success. In Belgium, tens of thousands of
mobile phone users have taken advantage of the option of transferring to a different operator while
retaining the same number. Now, increasing numbers of people are calling for analogous arrangements to
render bank account numbers portable. This would enable customers to take their account number with
them if they switch to a different bank.

What is the Commission’s view of this?

Will the Commission take steps to secure the introduction of portability of bank account numbers? If so,
when, and can it provide further details of its plans in this regard?