Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-04-Speech-2-327"
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"I have also asked Mr Graça Moura to speak during this forum in order to have direct contact. Mr Gargani, Mr Graça Moura and the rapporteur, Mr Ruffolo, have received an invitation to participate, to have direct contact with the major players and to tell them what Parliament wants, what Parliament decides and what this implies. It will be the ideal opportunity to be able to explain Parliament’s position on cultural policy issues directly to the operators on the ground.
Points 15 and 16: patronage. I am completely in agreement with your analysis of the importance of patronage. I know that Mrs Pack, present here today, put forward this proposal in 1992, and I regret that, almost ten years later, we still have no policy on this matter. Strong from the experience we have gained, we are going to look into this question. We will not abandon the European authorities without having achieved this objective. Together, we shall get down to the job. National and European budgets are ever “tighter”. Now, we have an extraordinary capacity on ground level: the private sector, the institutions, the organisations, the industries. These need to be mobilised, we need to give incentives for them to invest in culture. I would like us to think about a "patronage" action that includes a study of the possible harmonisation of VAT on works of art and artistic work, in such a way that all these elements are indissociable. With all the national resources that are available to us, we should favour investment in culture and the participation of cultural players. As you can see, I have been very positive up to this point.
Point 18: the cultural percentage, that is to say the principle of cultural endowments for works financed by the Structural Funds. I am not very much in favour of a system of quotas in this field, for this risks introducing an element of rigidity in an intervention system based on subsidiarity and the initiative of local and regional authorities.
I think that, on the other hand, governments and regions should be encouraged to ask for more investment in culture by the Structural Funds.I find it remarkable that Mr Barnier, my colleague responsible for Structural Funds, has, since assuming his responsibilities, decided to open up these funds even more to culture – that is to say to you who work at ground level in close relation with cultural players and communities – and to encourage municipalities and States to submit more applications for Structural funds for this purpose.
With regard to the WTO, I cannot be more clear: at the time of the next negotiations, the European Union will undertake to guarantee, as in the Uruguay round, the possibility for the Community and its Member States to maintain and develop their capacity to define and implement their cultural and audiovisual policies for the preservation of cultural diversity.
This is a matter of principle, a prerequisite, a general approach and a position decided on by the Fifteen, on which there can be no question. In other words, we shall maintain our cultural diversity and the mandate for negotiation expresses the desire of the European Union to strengthen competition in the European audiovisual industry by means of appropriate policies. I will present you also in the forthcoming weeks with a report, a programme on cinema that will really allow this policy to be established, not in the sense advocated by the WTO, but in the sense of the reinforcement of audiovisual policies.
It is also worth noting that the application of competition law alone, in particular the prohibition of the abuse of a dominant position, would not guarantee the preservation and development of cultural diversity. This is why the Community and the Member States remain fundamentally attached to their freedom of action to develop and adapt their cultural policy.
As you can see, nothing has changed. The credo remains. We are going to defend it together, with you and with the Member States.
Mr Ruffalo, I hope that I have answered your questions, even if I have taken far too long at this late hour. I thought it was important to give my response for these are questions that are sometimes considered by the public to be of minor importance. In my opinion, they are fundamental. In effect, Europe wants to move forward and must one day be judged on her cultural dimension, which is a human, civil dimension. I think it is normal for Parliament to be committed to constructing this Citizens’ Europe and I thank you for it."@en1
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