EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR RESEARCH Working Paper The situation of the circus in the EU Member States Education and Culture Series EDUC 111 EN PE 326.724 ii EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR RESEARCH Working Paper The situation of the circus in the EU Member States Education and Culture Series EDUC 111 EN 08 - 2003 This study was requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport. This document is published in EN (original), DE, FR. Editors: Division for Social and Legal Affairs Directorate General for Research, European Parliament The authors' names appear at the beginning of each contribution. Responsible official: Pernille Winther, Principal Administrator Division for Social and Legal Affairs Tel.: (00352) 4300 22688 Fax: (00352) 4300 27720 E-mail: [email protected] Manuscript completed on 15 March 2003. Paper copies can be obtained through: Publications service Tel.: (352) 4300-24053/20347 Fax: (352) 4300-27722 E-mail: [email protected] Further information on DG4 publications can be accessed through: www.europarl.ep.ec/studies Luxembourg, European Parliament, 2003 The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorised, provided the source is acknowledged and the publisher is given prior notice and sent a copy. PE 326.724 iv Contents Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Comparative Summary ............................................................................................................................ 7 1. History and status of circuses in Europe ......................................................................................... 7 2. Legislation on circuses .................................................................................................................... 8 3. Financial support and subsidies....................................................................................................... 9 4. Circus artists and workers ............................................................................................................. 10 5. Health and safety ........................................................................................................................... 10 6. Circus schools................................................................................................................................ 11 7. Education of the children of circus families.................................................................................. 12 8. Copyright....................................................................................................................................... 13 9. Animals ......................................................................................................................................... 14 10. EU initiatives and free movement ............................................................................................... 14 11. Networks and festivals ................................................................................................................ 15 I. Situation of circus in the Member States of the European Union ................................................ 17 Belgium - French Community............................................................................................................. 19 Belgium - Flemish Community........................................................................................................... 23 Denmark.............................................................................................................................................. 29 Germany.............................................................................................................................................. 35 Spain.................................................................................................................................................... 45 France.................................................................................................................................................. 59 Ireland ................................................................................................................................................. 73 Italy. .................................................................................................................................................... 79 Luxembourg ........................................................................................................................................ 95 The Netherlands .................................................................................................................................. 99 Austria............................................................................................................................................... 103 Portugal ............................................................................................................................................. 109 Finland .............................................................................................................................................. 113 Sweden .............................................................................................................................................. 119 United Kingdom................................................................................................................................ 125 II. European Union Intitiatives ......................................................................................................... 145 1. Free movement of circuses and artists within the European Union ............................................ 147 2. Social security regulations........................................................................................................... 152 3. Education of circus family children ............................................................................................ 153 3 PE 326.724 The situation of the Circus in the EU Member States III. European co-operation: networks and festivals ........................................................................ 161 Annex I.............................................................................................................................................. 166 Annex II ............................................................................................................................................ 169 Annex III ........................................................................................................................................... 171 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................... 179 PE 326.724 4 Foreword Foreword In March 2002, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport of the European Parliament asked the Directorate-General for Research (DG IV) to draft a report on the situation of the circus and circus artists in the European Union (EU) Member States with the aim of facilitating a better understanding of the situation of the circus in the EU from different perspectives: circus as a business, circus as an art form and circus as a family and way of life. The paper is divided into three parts. Part I analyses the situation in each country, as far as data was available, with regard to the following questions: a) History and current situation; b) Legislation on circus businesses; c) Financial subsidies; d) Vocational training in circus arts; e) Legislation on circus artists and workers, working conditions, and health and safety issues; f) Social security regulations; g) Pre-school, primary and secondary education for the children from circus families; h) Current debates or future plans. Part II focuses on EU initiatives on three important factors for circuses in the EU: free movement of circuses and artists, social security co-ordination and the education of children from circus families. Part III describes European co-operation and the networks within the circus sector. The study has been conducted with the collaboration of EFECOT, the European Circus Association, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work in Bilbao as well as organisations, associations, circuses, artists and official bodies related to circuses in the following EU Member States: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, and United Kingdom. We regret that for technical reasons it was not possible to include Greece. 5 PE 326.724 Comparative Summary Comparative Summary 1. History and status of circuses in Europe The International Association of Circus Historians defines the term ‘circus’ as ‘the meeting point between an organised artistic programme and a musical company, with acts of acrobats, clowns and tamers of wild and domestic animal performing inside an oval-shaped esplanade’ (Schulz, 1988). In more general terms it can also be defined as ‘a travelling company, which performs a versatile artistic programme inside a large ring-like tent or building’ (Scientific Council, Duden editorship, Duden 1997).