WRITTEN QUESTION E-2802/99 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Úbeda and Baeza: World Heritage.
C 280 E/134 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission (3 February 2000) Mr Leonard Peltier is a long term prisoner in the Federal Prison at Ford Levenworth, Kansas. An American citizen, he was extradited from Canada after his arrest in 1976 for the murder of two federal agents and has been in jail for nearly 24 years now. Mr Peltier is currently suffering from complications of maxilla- facial surgery in 1996, which cause serious problems in his jaw. In February 1999, the American authorities informed the Commission that Mr Peltier was being given normal medical treatment. Mr Peltier does not possess the nationality of one of the Member States and for that reason, the Vienna Convention on consular relations does not apply. The treatment of prisoners in third countries varies, depending on the economic situation, legal systems, administrative rules and practices. International legal rules provide for minimum standards, such as the rule that no one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Although some Member States did act on an individual basis on behalf of Mr Peltier, there is no Community policy in this respect. The Commission has limited competence to intervene in these cases. (2000/C 280 E/145) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2802/99 by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission (18 January 2000) Subject: beda and Baeza: World Heritage It is now ten years since the Spanish cities of beda and Baeza (which are prime examples of Renaissance architecture in southern Spain) first sought to have their buildings classed as World Heritage by Unesco. If their application is successful the two cities will receive substantial amounts of funding to help them conserve their architectural legacy and promote it as a tourist attraction. Can the Commission say what contribution it has made towards ensuring that two such important treasures of the Renaissance can provide at least a minimum degree of conservation? How can it help to secure the above-mentioned Unesco classification, which would bring in the funding needed to maintain the wide range of outstanding buildings which are to be found in the two cities in question? Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission (21 February 2000) As regards the cultural sector, the Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member that, since the two cities of Ubeda and Baeza have never submitted a proposal under any Community programme, they initiatives only in the have not received any financial support. The Commission can support cultural framework of its existing programmes and in accordance with their criteria. Note that in February 2000 a call for proposals will be launched in the context of the First Framework Programme Culture 2000í. Cultural operators who wish to obtain financial support will then be able to submit projects in accordance with the conditions and criteria of this Programme. The Commission would recall that the designation of sites as part of the áheritage of humanityí is a matter solely for the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco)