9 Extension of Culture 2000 programme
| (a)
(25415)
8495/03
COM(03) 187
(b)
(25416)
6222/04
COM(04) 79
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Draft Decision amending Decision No. 508/2000/EC of 14 February 2000 establishing the "Culture 2000" programme
Amended draft Decision amending Decision No.508/2000/EC of 14 February 2000 establishing the "Culture 2000" programme
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| Legal base | Article 151 EC; co-decision; unanimity
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| Document originated | (a)16 April 2003
(b)10 February 2004
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| Deposited in Parliament | (Both) 2 March 2004
|
| Department | Culture, Media and Sport
|
| Basis of consideration | EM of 5 March and Minister's letter of 8 March 2004
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| Discussed in Council | Adopted on 8 March 2004
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | (Both) Cleared
|
Background
9.1 The Culture 2000 programme provides grants for cultural cooperation
projects in the performing and visual arts, literature and cultural
history. It was set up in February 2000 to run until the end
of 2004, with a total budget €167 million.
9.2 To be eligible for grant, a group of cultural
operators (such as orchestras or dance companies) from at least
three countries need to cooperate on a project and apply to the
Commission for funding. The group has to find 5% of the cost
of the project; the grant covers the rest. The objectives of
the programme include promoting cultural dialogue between EU countries
and between them and other countries; promoting creativity and
transnational dissemination of culture; and encouraging the movement
of artists.
9.3 Article 151 of the EC Treaty provides that the
Community should "contribute to the flowering of the cultures
of the Member States" and adopt incentive measures for that
purpose.
The documents
9.4 Document (a) is the draft of a Decision to amend
the Decision which set up the Culture 2000 programme.[26]
The draft extends the duration of the programme for another two
years, from 1 January 2005 to the end of 2006; it also increases
the budget by €69.5
million, making the total €236.5
million.
9.5 Document (b) sets out the Commission's views
on the two amendments proposed by the European Parliament at its
first reading of the draft Decision on 16 December 2003. The
Commission (and subsequently the Council) accepted the European
Parliament's first amendment, which was to add a new recital 3A
emphasising that, when extending existing programmes, the Council
and the European Council are obliged to respect the ceiling placed
on expenditure in the revision of the financial perspective to
take account of enlargement of the EU to include the accession
states. The European Parliament's second amendment proposed the
addition of a new recital 3B, stating that it is essential for
the Commission to provide a full and detailed assessment report
on the Culture 2000 programme not later than 31 December 2005
so as to allow the Council and the European Parliament to consider
the proposal for a new framework programme for Community action
on culture starting in 2007. The Commission accepted the principle
of this amendment but could not accept that the presentation of
the report on the assessment should be a condition for consideration
of a proposal for a new framework programme. The Council decided,
however, to accept the European Parliament's amendment.
9.6 The Decision to extend the programme for two
years was adopted by the Council on 8 March 2004.
The Government's view
9.7 The Minister for the Arts at the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport (Estelle Morris) tells us that the Government
supports the proposal to extend the programme until the end of
2006. It also accepts the two amendments proposed by the European
Parliament.
Delay in deposit of document (a)
9.8 Document (a) originated on 16 April 2003. But
it was not deposited in Parliament until 2 March 2004 and we did
not receive the Minister's Explanatory Memorandum on it until
9 March. The document had not been scrutinised, therefore, before
the Decision was formally adopted at a Council meeting on 8 March.
The Minister's letter of 8 March 2004
9.9 The Minister says that she very much regrets
the delay in the deposit of the draft Decision and that, as a
result, normal parliamentary scrutiny of the document is not possible.
She apologises for the oversight. It was not spotted by the
Cabinet Office and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport
did not question the absence of a request from the Cabinet Office
for an Explanatory Memorandum.
9.10 The Minister tells us that her Department has
reviewed its scrutiny procedures and is taking action to ensure
that there is no repetition of what happened in this case. Among
other things, there will be a seminar on scrutiny work for the
Department's officials, which will underline the importance of
the work of the parliamentary scrutiny committees.
Conclusion
9.11 The failure promptly to deposit document
(a) for scrutiny was a serious error. We accept, however, that
the failure was inadvertent and we are grateful to the Minister
for her apology. As we would expect, the Department has reviewed
its procedures for scrutiny and we trust that a similar mistake
will not occur.
9.12 In November 2003, the Commission issued an
evaluation report on the implementation of the Culture 2000 programme
in 2000 and 2001. But no such evaluation report for the subsequent
years accompanied the proposal to continue the programme after
2004. We consider that such proposals should be accompanied by
an evaluation.
9.13 However, the Decision to extend the Culture
2000 programme for another two years has now been adopted and
further scrutiny would not, therefore, serve any purpose. Accordingly,
we formally clear both documents from scrutiny.
26 Decision No. 508/2000/EC, OJ No. L 63, 10.3.00,
p.1. Back
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