WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2890/98 by Gianni TAMINO Papua Botanic Garden
11. 10. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 289/11 It should be added that verification of compliance with and application of these regulatory provisions on labelling are matters for which the authorities of each Member State are competent and responsible. (1) OJ L 43, 14. 2. 1997. (2) OJ L 159, 3. 6. 1998. (3) OJ L 33, 8. 2. 1979. (1999/C 289/014) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2890/98 by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission (28 September 1998) Subject: Papua Botanic Garden The world’s first botanic garden is situated in Papua in the area bordering the ancient Basilicas of Sant’ Antonio and Santa Giustina. It was founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic and is of such immense value today that it has been listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The Garden, which is managed by the University of Papua, is at present in a critical state with new buildings being constructed along its boundaries which have cut off the ground water essential for the upkeep of its many rare and ancient plants. A plan has been drawn up to save the Garden from the indiscriminate building works next to it which provides for the purchase of the surrounding land, the demolition of the buildings under construction, the establishment of a protective belt around the Garden and the amalgamation of the area covered by the ancient Garden with those of the Basilicas of Sant’ Antonio and Santa Giustina. This plan, however, calls for an enormous sum of money (ITL 30 000 million has been quoted) which the Italian authorities responsible : the University of Papua, the Commune of Papua, the Veneto Region and the Italian Government : have not managed to find. As part of a pilot project for the conservation of the European architectural heritage the Papua Botanic Garden received a subsidy of ECU 31 829 in 1993 from the Commission of the European Communities for the restoration of the stone balustrade of its boundary walls (ref: 93/IT/83). Can the Commission therefore say how it proposes to safeguard the investment which it made at that time and what Community programmes it believes might be useful for the protection of this heritage, which the world is at the risk of losing? Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (4 December 1998) The inestimable value of Padua’s Botanic Garden, listed by the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) as a world heritage site, and the praiseworthy measures planned to conserve it have been acknowledged in the financial assistance granted by the Commission in 1993 as part of its action in support of European architectural heritage conservation pilot projects. In accordance with the rules governing this action, the contribution was allocated for a specific project and could not be extended. In 1997, the Commission established a specific programme in support of transnational cooperation projects to protect and enhance the cultural heritage, the Raphael programme. A new project to protect and enhance the value of this garden could be taken into consideration by the Commission, provided it meets the formal criteria set out in the calls for proposals published in the Official Journal each year