EU Publishes New Regulations on Imports of Cultural Goods From Outside EU
The European Union published new regulations June 7 setting requirements for importation of cultural property from non-EU member states. Either import licenses or importer statements will be required for imports of cultural property, depending on what type of object is being imported, beginning once the EU has an electronic system in place to accept submissions, or by June 2025 at the latest. A general ban on imports of unauthorized cultural property takes effect in December 2020.
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The new scheme categorizes cultural property into three different groups: Part A includes all cultural goods covered by the regulations. All imports of goods listed in Part A will be banned if they “were removed from the territory of the country where they were created or discovered in breach of the laws and regulations of that country.”
Part B of the Annex covers products of archaeological excavations and elements of dismembered historical monuments or archaeological sites. These goods will require an import license issued by an EU member state. Part C covers rare collections and specimens, property related to history, antiquities, ethnological objects, artistic objects, rare manuscripts, and old books and documents. Goods in Part C require only an importer statement. Goods of Parts B and C are also exempt if they fall below minimum ages and values set in the Annex.
For the purposes of import licenses and importer statements, goods may be imported from a country other than the country where they were created or discovered if they have been in that country for at least five years, and (1) the country where the cultural goods were created or discovered can’t be reliably determined, or they were taken out of that country before April 24, 1972.
The regulation requires that the EU create an electronic system to store and exchange information on import licenses and importer statements between member states. As noted, the new requirements for import licenses and importer statements will take effect once that system is in place, with the specific date announced in the EU Official Journal. Regardless, the requirements will take effect at the latest on June 28, 2025.