WRITTEN QUESTION E-0424/04 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Protecting wickerwork craftsmen in the Madeira Autonomous Region.
Date: 2004-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, European Social Fund, Madeira, aid to undertakings, craft production, heritage protection, modernisation aid, operational programme

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/587

(2004/C 84 E/0663)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0424/04

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 February 2004)

Subject: Protecting wickerwork craftsmen in the Madeira Autonomous Region

Wickerwork weaving is a traditional activity of the Madeira Autonomous Region, and an integral part of
the economy of the Atlantic islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, and of their culture.

Between the production of wicker and its weaving, the industry involves hundreds of jobs, giving it
considerable economic weight in certain areas; many families are dependent on it. Competition from
products coming from third countries, above all Asia, has thrown the industry into deep crisis, and if there
are no in-depth changes, it runs the risk of folding completely, entailing the disappearance of part of the
culture of the people who settled in these islands over 500 years ago.

To date, there are no measures to protect this specific ultra-peripheral regional activity. The action taken
so far is not sufficiently far-reaching for this sector, neither as regards wicker growing and harvesting nor
wicker weaving and marketing. What are needed are specific support programmes on an altogether
different scale, encouraging the modernisation of wicker growing and treating techniques, and a proper
study in the field of renewing and updating the products designed for the market, alongside measures to
encourage the promotion of these products.

Within the existing programmes, what measures could be considered with a view to supporting this
regional craft work sector, and what possibilities exist for providing subsidies which would ensure its
survival and modernisation as an EU craft industry?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s view of the importance of the economic and cultural
role of traditional craftwork, including wicker weaving in Madeira.

Aware of the need to capitalise on craft product quality, the Commission has mounted a study surveying
the craft arts in Europe that includes a set of recommendations on strategies to promote craft products,
ranging from preserving and transferring know-how to facilitating access to national and international
markets through expansion of e-commerce.

The final report can be found on the website: (http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/entrepreneurship/craft/
craft-studies/rarecrafts.htm).

Accordingly the operational programme for Madeira (Popram III) includes various actions to protect and
develop craftwork in ‘Measure 2.3: Competitiveness and economic efficiency’. The Honourable Member’s
attention is drawn in particular to that
included in the programme complement as ‘Action 2.3.2.:
Dynamising the business environment’ providing for the funding of projects capitalising on specific
regional craft products such as tapestry, embroidery and wickerwork.

In addition to these measures for craft trades, wicker growing in Madeira also benefits under the POSEI
specific measures for certain agricultural products for the Azores and Madeira introduced by Council
Regulation (EC) No 1453/2001 of 28 June 2001 (1).

The Commission funded a study entitled ‘Support for regional craft trades’ to examine the opportunities
for supporting and revitalising these. A draft programme ‘Restructuring regional craft trades’ was then
drawn up for the purpose of implementing new measures to dynamise and expand tapestry, embroidery
and wickerwork production.

C 84 E/588

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

Under the Euromed Heritage II framework programme the Commission has also provided funding for the
Prodecom project aimed at mobilising the potential of the Euro-Mediterranean artistic and craft heritage by
introduction of a ‘local culture product’ label intended to make it easier for the quality and originality of
craft products to be recognised. In the longer term this initiative should facilitate the marketing of craft
products in Europe and worldwide. The project is being coordinated by the Chambre des Beaux Arts de
Méditerranée (2).

Finally, a specific aid scheme is currently being prepared for measures to promote the marketing of craft
products.

The Commission continues to devote attention to this subject and is thinking of carrying out preparatory
work to evaluate the feasibility of a Community instrument for promoting distinctive products (cid:1) other
than agricultural products (cid:1) made by small European enterprises, including the traditional products of the
outermost regions that are an integral part of Europe’s cultural heritage and economically speaking are an
invaluable asset to their producers (mainly small businesses and micro-enterprises) and local communities.

The European Social Fund (ESF) is providing EUR 99 075 446 in assistance for the Popram III programme
under CSF III (2000-2006) (Measure 1.5 (cid:1) Human Resource Skills and Social Equality). The assistance in
Madeira is intended to help improve the population’s qualification level and promote employment,
employability, equal opportunities and social
for young people in obtaining
qualifications, both inside and outside the education system, training for those already in employment,
retraining and reintegration for the unemployed, local employment expansion schemes etc.

integration:

support

Community aid for wickerwork producers
falls within this overall human resource development
framework for the Madeira Autonomous Region. It is up to the national authorities to define specific
policies for the various areas of activity. Theoretically all types of action open to ESF assistance could be
aided under the programme but the national authorities have set selection criteria for Popram III that give
priority to training plans proposed by businesses in the sector that are undergoing restructuring and to
applications submitted under Action 1.5.3 (cid:1) Training for those in employment.

(1) OJ L 198, 21.7.2001.
(2) 59, rue Cambronne, 75015 Paris: ch.beaux.arts@wanadoo.fr

(2004/C 84 E/0664)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0426/04

by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR)
and Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 February 2004)

Subject: Timetable for processing rural development projects

The official processing of rural development and enterprise projects often takes a very long time, in some
cases more than a year. This causes considerable problems to project coordinators. If the processing of
project applications and payment applications takes several months, projects become very difficult to
manage and at the same time substantial financial losses are incurred. The flow of project ideas from the
grass roots also tends to dry up because project planning is felt to be too slow and bureaucratic. If the
processing of business projects takes more than a year it is possible that an entire project may become
pointless.

This issue concerns horizontal rural development projects and projects in Objective 1 regions. The
question is, has the Commission set a time limit for the period between submission of an application
concerning a rural development project and a decision on the project? Project coordinators are set
deadlines, but do any apply to the authorities? Is the Commission aware of differences in the speed with
which projects are processed in different countries? It would be useful to know in order to ascertain
whether speed of processing affects the results achieved in projects.