WRITTEN QUESTION E-2209/03 by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission. VAT on repairs to listed places of worship within the UK.
Date: 2003-07-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, VAT rate, architectural heritage, heritage protection, religious institution

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/145

(2004/C 58 E/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2209/03

by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission

(2 July 2003)

Subject: VAT on repairs to listed places of worship within the UK

As churches in Scotland are facing financial pressures, securing the VAT reduction is very important and it
is of course of benefit to everyone that historic churches be well cared for. Scottish churches have always
felt it inappropriate to levy admission charges and apart from grants from bodies such as Historic
Scotland/Heritage Lottery (which are annually reducing) the cost of repairs have had to be met out of
members’ offerings. Could the Commission tell me what is the current situation with regard to this.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(4 September 2003)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question E-1676/03 by
Mr MacCormick (1).

It would inform the Honourable Member that it recently adopted a proposal for a Directive as regards
reduced rates of value added tax (2). The main objective of this proposal is to improve the operation of the
internal market by rationalising Member States’ use of reduced rates in order to avoid distortion of
competition by giving all Member States the same opportunities to apply reduced rates.

Widening the scope of reduced rates was considered at the time the proposal was being drafted. It was
decided to extend the option to apply reduced rates to categories of goods and services for which some
Member States are already authorised to apply reduced rates under specific derogations where they do not
impair the operation of the internal market. This measure concerns accommodation but not repairs to
listed places of worship. As far as the Commission knows, most Member States do not apply reduced rates
to this type of service but subsidise it in other ways.

(1) OJ C 11 E, 15.1.2004, p. 214.
(2) COM(2003) 397 final.

(2004/C 58 E/160)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2233/03

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(3 July 2003)

Subject: Euromediterranean Bank in Sicily

At the request of the Laeken European Council of December 2001, the Commission and the Council have
examined the possibility of setting up a Euromediterranean Bank. The Barcelona European Council of
15/16 March 2002 approved the creation of a reinforced Euro-Mediterranean investment facility within
the EIB, complemented by a Euro-Mediterranean partnership arrangement and an EIB representative office
in the area.

Could the Commission therefore indicate:

1. what criteria will be adopted for selecting the country in which to base the Euro-Mediterranean

branch of the EIB;

2. whether it does not consider that Sicily might be the most appropriate region in which to site that
bank, given its geopolitical position in the Europe-Africa-Asia basin and its age-old historical, cultural
and religious tradition?