Kaleidoscope: Community action programme 1996-1998 to support artistic and cultural activities with a European dimension

Mr Augias called for the programme to be extended to include certain types of large-scale cultural activities and to be applied to the EEA countries and the Council of Europe. The Commission should present a detailed, final report two years after the entry into force of the programme. It should also ensure access to culture for disadvantaged regions and people through financial decisions in the annual budgetary framework. Commissioner Oreja stated that thanks, in part, to Parliament’s contribution it would be possible to implement the Kaleidoscope 2000 programme the following year. The Commission could take over most of Parliament’s amendments. Although Amendments Nos 24, 25 and 27 could be taken over, they would have to be supplemented as the provisional assessment provided for would only be possible in the six months following the second year of the programme’s operation. However, a number of amendments had to be rejected: Amendment No 6 as the programme was incompatible with any form of coercion; Amendments Nos 17, 37, 43, 44 and 45 as they went beyond the objectives of the programme; Amendments Nos 21, 23 and 38 as they did not comply with the Council’s decision nor the interinstitutional ‘modus vivendi’ on committee procedure.