WRITTEN QUESTION E-3843/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Marco Cappato (NI),Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI)and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission. Censorship practised at the request of the Russian Consulate in Milan by the city authorities in connection with the Romano Cagnoni photography exhibition.
Date: 2003-12-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Lombardy, Russia, censorship, cultural event, diplomatic relations, freedom of expression, visual arts

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/657

As with all activities implemented through decentralised management, the Commission is only concerned
when the contracting authority incurs any delay. In such a case the Commission may bring pressure to
bear on the contracting authority to improve its performance, and may ultimately refuse to extend the
budgetary commitment to the project if the contracting authority fails to implement it within the terms of
the Financing Agreement signed between the Commission and the beneficiary government.

In the case of the MERP, it is the understanding of the Commission that the initial problems have now
largely been overcome and agreement has broadly been reached between the Project Implementation Unit
and the Prefecture of Grevana, and that the tender dossiers should soon be launched. The Commission has
also indicated to the Prefecture of Grevana that if difficulties occur in their relationship with the PIU, the
Commission is prepared to intervene in order to facilitate dialogue between the stakeholders. To this effect,
the Commission has formally requested the PIU to establish monthly meetings of all project partners.

(2004/C 78 E/0699)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3843/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Marco Cappato (NI),
Gianfranco Dell’Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI)
and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(12 December 2003)

Subject: Censorship practised at the request of the Russian Consulate in Milan by the city authorities in

connection with the Romano Cagnoni photography exhibition

On 4 December 2003 the Milan city authorities were due to stage an exhibition (which had been
scheduled since last April) of the work of the photographer Romano Cagnoni.

The photograph which appears on the invitation (and also on the posters, the banners, the public-
transport advertising and the catalogue cover) contains a foregrounded image of a smiling Chechen soldier.

After the first posters appeared on walls in Milan the Russian Consulate complained to the city authorities
that they constituted ‘a senseless provocation’ and with less than a week to go before the opening of the
exhibition the authorities decided not to display any more posters, banners or public-transport advertising
and to cover up the posters which were already on the streets. They have not yet decided whether to
censor the catalogue cover as well, although they cannot take any action in respect of the invitations,
which have already been sent out.

In order to justify the censorship practised by the Milan city councillor with responsibility for cultural
matters, Salvatore Carubba has told Romano Cagnoni that ‘it would not please the Bishop to see that
murderer’s ugly mug in piazza del Duomo [Cathedral Square] at Christmas time’.

Is the Commission aware of the facts set out above? What action does it intend to take vis-à-vis the Milan
city authorities in response to this serious act of censorship?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(23 January 2004)

Freedom of opinion and expression is one of the Union’s fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter of
Fundamental Rights. However, the Commission cannot comment on the specific case referred to by the
Honourable Members, which is exclusively a matter for the Member State concerned.