WRITTEN QUESTION E-1939/03 by Giles Chichester (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Commission quarterly briefings and Small Business Europe: the participation of government-funded national bodies in Commission briefings.
Date: 2003-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, United Kingdom, administration of the Institutions, employers' organisation, image, small and medium-sized enterprises

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/727

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(18 July 2003)

The Commission is deeply concerned at the extent of the theft of, and illicit trafficking in, cultural objects.
It deplores in particular the recent looting of the cultural heritage of Iraq. Particular measures concerning
cultural objects originating in Iraq are being considered as part of the implementation of Security Council
Resolution 1483.

The possibility of a central database, or network of databases, of stolen cultural goods at European level is
currently under consideration by a working group established by Europol. The possibility of including
works of art within the future SIS II (second-generation Schengen Information System) will also have to be
carefully considered. Details of the database run by Interpol may be found on its website: (www.inter-
pol.com.)

As regards the policing practices and laws of the Netherlands in comparison with other Member States, the
Commission is not currently in a position to comment.

The Commission appreciates the need for measures to protect cultural goods. Regulation No 3911/92/
EEC (1), on the export of cultural goods, subjects the export of cultural goods outside the customs territory
of the Community to the presentation of an export licence. In addition, Directive 93/7/EEC (2), on the
return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State, provides for
cooperation mechanisms between Member States and a procedure for returning national treasures when
these have left the territory of a Member State unlawfully.

Recently the Commission has intensified efforts to improve measures to combat illicit trafficking in
the second
cultural goods. As part of the European Forum on the prevention of organised crime,
workshop on the prevention of illicit trafficking in cultural goods was organised by the Commission in
Brussels on 9 December 2002. Over one hundred people took part, representing a wide variety of
interests: owners, institutions (ministries, international organisations, the Commission, Unesco, Unidroit,
Europol, Interpol, etc), police forces and customs authorities,
insurers, collectors, art dealers and their
associations, intermediaries and private organisations. One of the recommendations of that workshop was
to create the Europol working group referred to above to consider the possibility of a European database,
or network of existing databases, of stolen cultural goods. A third workshop is planned for later this year.

The Advisory Committee on Cultural Goods, created within the framework of Regulation No 3911/92, has
recently issued ‘Guidelines for Administrative Co-operation between the competent authorities’ to assist in
the protection of cultural goods in the Community. Also the Commission is considering a project to
develop a website to assist in the rapid exchange of information concerning the movement of cultural
goods. In addition, a call for tenders for a study concerning the traceability of cultural goods has been
launched by the Commission on 4 June 2003.

(1) OJ L 395, 31.12.1992. Amended by Regulation No 2469/96, OJ L 335, 24.12.1996, p. 9; and Regulation No 974/

2001, OJ L 137, 19.5.2001.

(2) OJ L 74, 27.3.1993. Amended by Directive 96/100/EC of the Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 60, 1.3.1997 and

Directive 2001/38/EC of the Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 187, 10.7.2001.

(2004/C 84 E/0818)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1939/03

by Giles Chichester (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 June 2003)

Subject: Commission quarterly briefings and Small Business Europe: the participation of government-

funded national bodies in Commission briefings

Is the Commission aware that the organisation known as ‘Small Business Europe’, which purports to
represent all small businesses in the UK, is in fact a body created by the UK Labour Government, funded
from tax payers money, with no mandate from actual small businesses and wholly unrepresentative of the
sector? Could the Commission indicate how many government-funded and government funded national

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Official Journal of the European Union

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3.4.2004

bodies like Small Business Europe are invited to attend regular quarterly briefings by the Commission for
European SME and small business representative bodies and why? If the Commission is inviting national
organisations, why does it not invite any of the UK bodies which actually do represent real small
businesses?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2003)

In the framework of its strategy to enhance contacts with its stakeholders, Directorate General
(DG)
Enterprise invites a large number of business organisations at European and national level, with horizontal
or sectoral interests to information meetings, seminars and conferences. These organisations draw their
funds from a variety of sources.

At the last major conference (‘Industrial Policy in an Enlarged Europe’, on 21 January 2003) more than
200 such business associations were represented, along with participants from trade unions, environmental
and consumer protection organisations, government and company representatives.

Several times per year DG Enterprise also invites a group of non-profit making, permanent organisations,
which represent enterprises, professional federations or employers and have a horizontal or cross-cutting
orientation, going beyond a specific economic sector. Most of these have national member organisations in
several European states, which sometimes also participate in these meetings. Around half of the invited
organisations represent small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) interests either exclusively or partly. The
complete list can be found in the Coneccs database of the Commission (http://europa.eu.int/comm/
civil_society/coneccs/index_en.htm). The meeting structure is
‘consultation with business
organisations’ and comprises at present 26 organisations, among them the organisation called ‘smallbusi-
ness|europe’.

listed as

The Commission is aware that ‘smallbusiness|europe’ is at present funded by the Small Business Service, an
Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry.
‘smallbusiness|europe’ is
working in close co-operation with United Kingdom cross-sector organisations representing SMEs.
It highlights their views at the European level and, the Commission understands, consults them regularly.

(2004/C 84 E/0819)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1983/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(16 June 2003)

Subject: Establishment of a secondary school in the small town of Rizokarpaso in Turkish-occupied Cyprus

In the small town of Rizokarpaso in Turkish-occupied Cyprus where Greek Cypriot families live in an
enclave there is an elementary school which today has 23 pupils.

However, because there is no secondary school in Rizokarpaso, these pupils are obliged to move with their
families to the free areas of Cyprus in order to continue their education.

Since all citizens must be given the opportunity of education and given that Cyprus has been admitted as a
Member State of the European Union, what action does the Commission intend to take both in respect of
the Turkish Cypriot community, whose representatives have declared that they are examining the matter,
and as part of the measures it itself is promoting, with a view to facilitating the establishment of a
secondary school in the occupied village of Rizokarpaso in Cyprus?