WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3286/97 by Roberta ANGELILLI to the Commission. Request for special aid measures following the earthquake in Umbria and the Marches
16. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 117/165 of architectural, historic and religious significance. The town of Assisi, with its churches dedicated to St Francis, which contain priceless frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue, amongst other things, was seriously damaged. Thousands of people are homeless and an initial estimate indicates that the damage is difficult to calculate, in particular because of the serious damage done to priceless works of art. What does the Commission intend to do to meet the needs of the population and to restore the damaged works of art, which are not only part of Italyís heritage but belong to the whole of mankind? (98/C 117/225) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3286/97 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (13 October 1997) Subject: Request for special aid measures following the earthquake in Umbria and the Marches In the last week of September a severe earthquake caused substantial damage in Italy, particularly in the regions of Umbria and the Marches. Above all, it made built-up areas unusable, thereby seriously inconveniencing the inhabitants and it also seriously damaged the artistic heritage, in particular the town of Assisi. Is the Commission able to allocate special financial aid for: 1. the sections of the population affected; 2. rebuilding town centres; 3. restoring works of art? Joint answer to Written Questions P-3220/97 and P-3286/97 given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (4 November 1997) The Commission wishes to express its fullest sympathy for the victims of the earthquakes that have been devastating the Italian regions of Umbria and the Marches since the end of September. It is aware of the exceptional scale of the damage inflicted on Europe’s citizens living in these regions and of the destruction suffered by its incomparable cultural heritage. Regarding Community emergency aid for disaster victims, the Commission would remind the Honourable Member that in the 1997 budget the relevant item (B4-3400) contains no appropriations that could be used for immediate measures of solidarity with the citizens who have sustained losses. Regarding structural aids, the earthquakes have affected highly rural areas to which Commission attaches great importance; they are virtually all objective 5b areas. The Presidents of the two regions concerned have asked the Commission to adjust the objective 5b programming to take account of new priorities and needs generated by the earthquakes. The Commission confirms that its is fully ready to launch the procedures, the partnership context, for boosting the objective 5b single programming documents by adding specific reconstruction measures. This would provide an opportunity to consider the value of action to support the artistic and architectural heritage, production potential and the reconstruction of rural villages. Regarding restoration of the cultural heritage, the Commission announced on 1 October 1997 it would grant emergency aid of ECU 100 000 from the funds allocated for the preservation of cultural heritage. This emergency aid is intended to cover some of the costs of restoration of the church of St Francis of Assisi, and in particular for the restoration of the frescos damaged during the recent catastrophic earthquake