Question for written answer E-005694/2013 to the Commission Rule 117 Mara Bizzotto (EFD)

Subject: Commemoration on Monte Grappa of the centenary of the Great War

Monte Grappa, the highest peak of the Grappa massif in the , located at the point where the provinces of , and Belluno meet, is famous around the world as being the battleground of decisive encounters in the First and Second World Wars.

To mark these events, Monte Grappa is home to one of the most important ossuaries of the First World War, the Cima Grappa war memorial, which holds the remains of 22 910 Italian, Austrian, Slovak, Croatian and Bohemian soldiers, among others. It is therefore a symbol of the atrocities inflicted on so many European peoples as a result of the Great War.

The project of European integration was started to bring about peace and stability and to prevent a repetition of the horrors of global conflicts, and its mandate was reaffirmed and reinforced when the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2012.

The need to continue to preserve the historic memory of the First and Second World Wars, to keep the memory of events that happened long ago alive in the mind of future generations and to stop them happening again, has led a number of local authorities in the region to plan several commemorative events to be held between 2015 and 2018.

A European cultural itinerary generally means a route arranged around issues of European historic, artistic or social interest, in terms of both the itinerary’s geographic route and its content and meaning. On the occasion of the centenary of the Great War:

1. Is the Commission planning to set up, together with the Council of Europe, a European cultural itinerary dedicated to Great War sites?

2. Has it considered the possibility of supporting local authorities and involving all Member States in the commemorations to be held on Monte Grappa?

937057.EN PE 511.997