WRITTEN QUESTION E-0224/04 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Militaria e Dintorni in Europa (Militaria Fair).
Date: 2004-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, Latium, armed forces, cultural cooperation, cultural event, goods and services

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/943

The Commission strictly adheres to the payment procedures contained in the call for proposals and the
new Financial Regulation. The disbursement of grants is therefore dependent on the submission of
documentary evidence by the beneficiary at the end of the activity. Although the volume of documentary
evidence has been reduced, in nearly 25 % of cases beneficiaries have had to be contacted again because
the documentation they submitted was incomplete. This is the reason for most of the payment delays.

Nevertheless, on the whole, the situation has improved considerably.

The Commission would like to reassure the Honourable Member that everything is being done to catch up
on the backlog and pay the sums due as soon as possible.

(2004/C 78 E/0997)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0223/04

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 January 2004)

Subject: Unemployment rate in Greece

According to the Greek Statistical Service, the rate of unemployment in Greece is 8,9 %, corresponding to
a total of 392 200 people, whereas figures published by the Greek Manpower Employment Organisation
(OAED) on 19 January give the number of registered unemployed as 585 788 or 13,2 % of
the
economically active population.

Can the Commission, in cooperation with the Greek Government, clarify the discrepancy between the
figures produced by the OAED and those published by the Greek Statistical Service?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 2004)

The data that Eurostat uses to calculate monthly unemployment rates come from the National Statistical
Service of Greece. The most recent data available from Greece refer to the second quarter 2003 (data until
June 2003) as shown in the Eurostat databases. Data for Greek unemployment rates are identical between
Eurostat and the National Statistical Service of Greece. However, in Greece, the data are published in non-
seasonally adjusted form (Second quarter 2003, 8,9 %) and in Eurostat in seasonally adjusted form (Second
quarter 2003, 9,2 %). Eurostat publishes seasonally adjusted series for all the Member States and Acceding
and Candidate Countries.

Eurostat has no comments on the other national data providers. Eurostat is interested in the harmonised
data or the sources for the harmonised data, which in the unemployment statistics area are provided by
the National Statistical Service of Greece. Data from other national services may be based on different
concepts and rules for which the Commission has neither reason, nor obligation to verify or approve.

(2004/C 78 E/0998)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0224/04

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(2 February 2004)

Subject:

‘Militaria e Dintorni in Europa’ (Militaria Fair)

For a number of years a Militaria Fair has been held in Rome which, because of its specialist nature, has
gained such importance that it is now the only fair of its kind in central/southern Italy. The fair was
designed to attract collectors of military memorabilia from Italy and abroad (items come from France, the
United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland, the United States and Russia) and others interested in
the subject.

C 78 E/944

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

Thanks to the professional approach of the Organising Committee and the special nature of the objects
exhibited, the Militaria Fair has outgrown its original format and has become an event of historical and
cultural significance. Over the years there have been exhibitions of uniforms, documents, arms and
antiques of major historical importance, such as Enrico Toti’s bicycle, the personal effects of Giuseppe
Mazzini, Guglielmo Marconi’s instruments, Garibaldi’s sword, Chiaffredo Bergia’s decorations and vast
collections of toy soldiers, originals or reproductions made by expert craftsmen, which are miniature
masterpieces.

The importance acquired by the Militaria Fair over the years is reflected in the sponsorship it has secured
for each edition from the Lazio Region, the Province of Rome, the city of Rome and the XVIIth district in
which the fair actually takes place. Institutions are also involved, for instance the Historical museum of the
Carabinieri, the Customs Service, the Rome traffic police, the Military section of the Italian Red Cross,
along with historical associations such as the Garibaldini and the Mentana Museum and, of course, private
individuals.

However, the costs (including rent for the exhibition area, fixtures and fittings, organisation and insurance
costs and publicity) far exceed the potential proceeds from ticket sales and fees for stands.

Can the Commission say whether grants are available for initiatives of this kind?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(17 February 2004)

The Commission supports the initiatives for transnational cooperation in the cultural sector, but only
within the framework and on the basis of the selection criteria for the Culture 2000 programme which is
the sole financing and planning instrument for cultural cooperation in the Union.

This programme is intended to support projects coproduced and cofinanced by at least three operators
from at least three countries participating in the programme.

The Honourable Member can find further information on the following websites (in English and French
respectively): (http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/index_en.htm).

The Commission is not aware of any projects of this type put forward by other Member States.

(2004/C 78 E/0999)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0231/04

by Alexander de Roo (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 January 2004)

Subject: EIB loan to Schiphol Airport

For the financing of its fifth runway (known as the ‘Polderbaan’), Schiphol Airport successfully applied for
a European Investment Bank loan of EUR 150 million.

Friends of the Earth Netherlands claims that the loan was approved (on 15 February 2002) before the
requisite environmental impact assessment into the use of the ‘Polderbaan’ was completed (on 11 March
2002).

According to a report entitled: ‘Flying with Big Business: The European Investment Bank and the Aviation
Industry’, published in November 2003 by Friends of the Earth International and CEE Bankwatch Network,
the same applied to the expansion of Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, except that, in that particular instance, no
EIA was carried out at all.