| Author (Corporate) | European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service |
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| Series Title | Briefing: Implementation Appraisal |
| Series Details | July 2017 |
| Publication Date | July 2017 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog, Policy-making |
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This briefing is one in a series of 'Implementation Appraisals' on the operation of existing EU legislation in practice. Each such briefing focuses on a specific EU law which is likely to be amended or reviewed, as foreseen in the European Commission's Annual Work Programme. Implementation Appraisals aim to provide a succinct overview of material publicly available on the implementation, application and effectiveness of an EU law to date – drawing on available input from the EU institutions and external organisations. They are provided to assist parliamentary committees in their consideration of the new proposals, once tabled.Illicit trade (or trafficking) in cultural goods is defined by the European Commission as the 'illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property, i.e. items being of importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science' and is characterised as ranging 'from theft from cultural heritage institutions or private collections, through looting of archaeological sites to the displacement of artefacts due to war'. The European Commission points out that trafficking in cultural goods 'fosters terrorism, money laundering, tax evasion, and organised crime' and that 'Europe, where art and culture are highly prized and where many wealthy buyers can be found, is a favourite outlet for trafficking'. Cultural goods have a significant economic value in the market and the trafficking of cultural goods and antiquities is estimated to be worth between US$50 million and US$150 million a year. The European Union does not have common rules on the import of cultural goods. Two EU acts govern only selected areas: Regulation (EU) 116/2009 lays down rules on the export of cultural goods, and Directive 2014/60/EU governs the return of cultural objects taken unlawfully from another EU country. Furthermore, most Member States impose restrictions on imports of culture goods (e.g. requiring declarations or controls) in line with Articles 34 and 35 of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). On 13 July 2017 the European Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation on the import of cultural goods, which will set out conditions and procedure for the entry of cultural goods into the customs territory of the EU. The Commission is also preparing a study on illicit trade in cultural goods in the EU and the new technologies available to combat it. |
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| Source Link | http://libraryeuroparl.wordpress.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research, Security and Defence |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
