"L’Ouverture died in 1803" Fässler/Häne/Pasqualini c/o Hans Fässler 9016 St. Gallen Switzerland e-mail: hans.faessler@freesurf.ch European Commission Secretariat-General Directorate "Coordination I" Rue de la Loi/Weststraat 200 B-1049 Brussels St. Gallen, 13th December 2000 Permission to Hoist EU Flag Dear Sirs, In the year 2003 the canton of St. Gallen in northeastern Switzerland will celebrate its 200th anniversary. We are proud to say that our satire project "L’Ouverture died in 1803" is among the 60 projects selected from some 200 submitted to the cantonal anniversary commission of the Ministry of the Interior. "L’Ouverture died in 1803" will be a satirical presentation of the history and present state of the canton of St. Gallen related to and in contrast with the history of Haiti and its struggle for black liberation and independence under Toussaint l’Ouverture (hence the title) . In order to visualize the aspect of foreign dominance I intend to show overhead transparencies with three fotograph of flags hoisted outside public buildings: - the French "Tricolore" hoisted on the cathedral spires to commemorate a historical hoisting in 1798 when Switzerland was part of the Napoleonic system (which eventually led to the founding of our canton), - the Sovjet flag hoisted outside the cantonal House of Parliament in order to visualize the Cold War Period which greatly influenced the political climate in Switzerland in the years 1945-1990 and - the UN and EU flags hoisted together with the city flag outside St. Gallen’s City Hall in order to make Switzerland’s opening up to international organisations an issue (permis-sion has already been granted by the city council). Furthermore I see the third of the above-mentioned hoistings as a means to further the ideas of EU and UN membership in the context of the national referendum on whether to immediately take up membership-negotiations with the EU (4th March 2001, initiative "Ja zu Europa") and of the national referendum on UN-membership (due in 2002, initiative "Für den Beitritt der Schweiz zur Organisation der Vereinten Nationen"). I therefore submit to you the request to grant me permission to hoist the EU flag outside St. Gallen's City Hall together with St. Gallen’s city flag (an upright black bear on a white background) and the UN flag for about half an hour for the sole purpose of taking a photograph which will then be used in the form of an overhead transparency in the context of a satirical presentation within the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the canton of St. Gallen. I warrant that through this hoisting "there is no likelyhood of the user of the emblem being confused with the European Community" and that "the emblem is not used in connection with objectives or activities which are incompatible with the aims and principles of the European community". Hoping and thanking you in advance for a favourable and expeditious consideration of my request I remain on behalf of the "L’Ouverture died in 1803" project Yours faithfully, Hans Fässler