91999E1865

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1865/99

by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission

(14 October 1999)

Subject: European Union funding for culture

With reference to the allocation of European Union funding for culture can the Commission indicate how much money is distributed to subsidise and promote the arts within and outside the EU borders and from which budget sources?

What is the national breakdown of monies received for cultural projects within each of the EU Member States?

Is Title IX, Article 128 of the Treaty the only legal base for funding cultural projects/programmes? How much of the budget for culture is dedicated, as is stated in Article 128, to bringing the common cultural heritage to the fore?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(23 November 1999)

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that support for purely cultural projects is based on Article 151 (ex-Article 128) of the EC Treaty. During the last financial exercise of 1998, support was provided from the posts B3.2000, B3.2001, B3.2003 of the budget. It is under these posts that the Commission supported projects under the Raphael programme (B3.2000), under the Kaleidoscope programme (B3.2001), under the Ariane programme (B3.2002) and cultural co-operation projects (B3.2003) within and outside the Community borders.

For 1998 there were supported 84 projects under Raphael with a total budgetary allocation of approximately 10 million; 147 projects under Kaleidoscope with a total budgetary allocation of approximately 10 million; 292 projects under Ariane with a total budgetary allocation of 2,9 million, and over 70 projects under the post B3.2003 for cultural co-operation with a total budgetary allocation of approximately 6 million.

Each project concerned a network with the involvement of at least three partners from three different Member States or countries eligible for participation in the cultural programme (European Economic Area and Central and eastern European countries). In this sense, Community funding is given to encourage European co-operation, as it is clearly stated in Article 151 of the EC Treaty and it cannot, therefore, be broken down as monies received for cultural projects within each of the Member States.

Article 151 of the EC Treaty is the only legal basis for funding purely cultural projects. However, paragraph 4 of the article provides also the basis for the consideration of projects with cultural aspects from other Community policies and programmes.

One of the priority areas of Article 151 referred to as bringing the Common cultural heritage to the fore is covered by the Raphael programme.