Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-12-Speech-3-230"
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"en.20051012.20.3-230"2
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".
Mr President, I would like to start by thanking the rapporteur Mrs Pack for her excellent work and the own-initiative report. The report covers all dimensions of the circus. The Commission will of course carefully study the recommendations of the report. However, already at this stage I would like to make some comments on some of the main elements.
The Parliament would like the circus to be recognised as forming part of European culture. Of course, it is not for the Commission to decide what belongs or does not belong to European culture. This seems to be a natural process and the circus seems naturally to be recognised as part of our culture. A good illustration of this at Community level is that many cooperation projects in the circus sector are co-financed under the EU culture programmes, for example, the
project, a network of circus schools and music schools co-financed under the Culture 2000 Programme.
The report also underlines the importance of taking special measures to help the children of travelling families such as the circus community. The education of pupils with educational disadvantage due to special circumstances is a very important matter. These children should be provided as much as possible with flexible learning settings. The Commission proposes to launch a study in 2006 in order to update the 1996 report on the steps taken by Member States to follow up the resolution of Council from 1989 – 16 years ago – on school provisions for children of occupational travellers.
The Commission has been invited to look at the development of responses to the special needs of this target public. We propose that the European Agency for Special Needs Education should examine this in its work programme for 2006-2007 period. The current Socrates and Leonardo programmes already provide support to projects dealing with travelling children and families. This will be continued in the future integrated lifelong learning programme. Therefore I invite the organisations representing the circus community to make full use of the possibilities offered by Community programmes. I know that Mrs Pack, who is also rapporteur for the very important new lifelong learning programme, is fully aware of the possibilities offered by these programmes.
The report also requests that we establish European standards for mobile circus facilities. I am pleased to inform you that the Commission has already mandated the European Committee for Standardisation to establish a European standard for the safety of temporary structures, in particular tents. This European standard should be published by our standardisation organisation in the coming months. The Commission is ready to look at possible further European standards with the circus community.
According to the report, the Commission should facilitate the mobility and employment of circus workers from third countries. Current EU legislation does not provide for the possibility of issuing visas or residence permits which accommodate the needs of artists. We are very much aware of the difficulties encountered by the artists in obtaining visas which are longer than six months. The Commission will duly take this into consideration when reflecting the future of immigration policy in Europe.
In conclusion, I would like to borrow words from the French acting and singing teacher Francois Delsarte: ‘the artist is a traveller on this earth’. This is particularly true of circus professionals. Mrs Pack has put them on the map. Her report will undoubtedly contribute to better recognition of the circus as part of Europe’s culture and to more account being taken of its specific needs in the formulation of our policies.
I can assure you that where there is a clear role for the Commission, I will do my utmost."@en1
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"Cirque nouveau"1
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