91997E3433

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3433/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (31 October 1997)

Subject: Damage to the universal artistic heritage caused by the Umbrian earthquake

The Commission has recently stated that it will allocate ECU 100 000 to repair the damage caused by the earthquake in Umbria; the money will be provided under Raphael, the Community cultural heritage programme (the closing dates for some of the calls for expressions of interest issued in connection with the programme occur at about this time).

Does the Commission not consider the amount allotted to be decidedly insufficient given the scale of the damage, which was aggravated by the violence of the earthquake and in particular the seismic phenomena that continued for days afterwards?

The earthquake has damaged not only private homes, but also cottage industries and, above all, religious buildings including the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. The Raphael programme seeks to protect and conserve cultural assets, but, to judge from the funds earmarked, the Commission does not seem fully to have appreciated the historical artistic value of the buildings in question, which constitute not so much a priceless heritage of Italy alone as a universal heritage that should consequently also be protected by the Union.

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (16 December 1997)

The Commission confirms that it granted emergency aid of ECU 100 000 from the cultural funds. This sum, which of course does not match the scale of requirements, was allocated - after consultation with the Italian authorities - for the work of cataloguing fragments of the damaged frescoes in the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. This work is of great scientific interest and could form the methodological basis for other, similar actions at European level. The involvement of other European countries in this instance may lead to other forms of collaboration with the Commission on cultural affairs, and in particular under the Raphael programme, always taking into account the limited resources available to it.

In addition, considerable support can be given through structural aid. These earthquakes struck largely rural areas to which the Commission attaches great importance and which are almost entirely covered by Objective 5b.

The two regions concerned requested the Commission to adjust the scheduling of Objective 5b in line with the new priorities and requirements created by this serious earthquake.

The Commission confirms its wholehearted willingness to initiate the necessary procedures within the partnership to add specific reconstruction activities to the single programming documents for Objective 5b. The possibility of doing something for the artistic and architectural heritage, production capacity and the reconstruction of rural villages will be assessed in this context.