28.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC53/11
Category7:ECU7500;
Category11:ECU35000;
Category14:—Furniture,furnishingsordecorativeitems:ECU20000;
—Musicalinstruments :ECU20000;
—Anyotherobject:ECU50000.
Theassessmentofwhetherornotamonetarythresholdisreachedmustbemadeatthemomentthe
requestforanauthorization ismade.Themonetarythresholdisthatoftheculturalobjectinthe
MemberStateapplicableunderArticle2(5)(3)ofthepresentRegulation .
ProposalforaCouncilDirectiveonthereturnofculturalobjectsunlawfullyremovedfromthe
territoryofaMemberState
(92/C53/15)
COM(91)447final—SYN382
(SubmittedbytheCommissionon20January1992)
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity,andinparticularArticle100a
thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
IncooperationwiththeEuropeanParliament,andhavebeenremovedfromtheirterritoryinbreachof
theabovementioned nationalmeasuresorofCouncil
Regulation (EEC)No...;whereastofacilitate
cooperationwithregardtoreturn,thescopeofthe
arrangementsshouldbeconfinedtoitemsbelongingto
commoncategoriesofculturalobject;whereasthe
AnnextothisDirectiveisconsequentlynotintendedto
defineobjectswhichrankas'nationaltreasures'within
themeaningofArticle36oftheTreaty,butmerely
categoriesofobjectwhichmaybeclassedassuchand
mayaccordinglybecoveredbythereturnprocedure
introducedbythisDirective;
WhereastheprocedureintroducedbythisDirectiveisa
firststepinestablishingcooperationbetweenMember
Statesinthisfieldinthecontextoftheinternalmarket;
whereastheaimismutualrecognitionoftherelevant
nationallaws;whereasprovisionshouldthereforebe
made,inparticular,fortheCommissiontobeassistedby
anadvisorycommitteewithaviewtoamending,if
necessary,theAnnextothisDirectiveinthelightof
experience,HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicand
SocialCommittee ,
WhereasArticle8aoftheTreatyprovidesfortheestab­
lishment,notlaterthan1January1993,oftheinternal
market,whichistocompriseanareawithoutinternal
frontiersinwhichthefreemovementofgoods,persons,
servicesandcapitalisensuredinaccordancewiththe
provisionsoftheTreaty;
Whereas,underthetermsandwithinthelimitsofArticle
36oftheTreaty,MemberStateswillafter1992retain
therighttodefinetheirnationaltreasuresandtotake
thenecessarymeasurestoprotectthem;whereasthey
will,ontheotherhand,nolongerbeabletoapply
checksorformalitiesattheCommunity'sinternal
frontierstoensuretheeffectivenessofthosemeasures;
Whereasarrangementsshouldthereforebeintroduced
enablingMemberStatestosecurethereturntotheir
territoryofculturalobjectswhichareclassedasnational
treasureswithinthemeaningofArticle36oftheTreatyHASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE :
Article1
ForthepurposesofthisDirective:
1.'culturalobject'meansanobjectwhich:
—isa'nationaltreasure'undernationallegislationin
thecontextofArticle36oftheTreaty,
and

NoC53/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 28.2.92
—belongstooneofthecategorieslistedinthe
AnnextothisDirective;Article4
MemberStates'centralauthoritiesshallcooperateand
promoteconsultationbetweenthecompetentnational
authorities .Theseshallinparticular : 2.'unlawfullyremovedfromtheterritoryofaMember
State'means:
—removedfromtheterritoryofaMemberStatein
breachofitsrulesontheprotectionofnational
treasuresorinbreachofRegulation(EEC)No1.seekculturalobjectswhichhavebeenunlawfully
removedfromtheterritoryofaMemberState,
locatingthemandidentifyingtheholder;
2.informtheMemberStatespresumedtobeconcerned,
whereaculturalobjectisfoundontheirterritoryand
therearereasonablegroundsforbelievingthatithas
beenunlawfullyremovedfromtheterritoryof
anotherMemberState;or
—notreturnedattheendofaperiodoflawful
temporaryremoval;
3.'requestingMemberState'meanstheMemberState
fromwhoseterritorytheculturalobjecthasbeen
unlawfullyremoved;
4.'requestedMemberState'meanstheMemberStateon
whoseterritoryaculturalobjectunlawfullyremoved
fromtheterritoryofanotherMemberStateis
located;3.enablethecompetentauthoritiesoftherequesting
MemberStatetocheckthattheobjectinquestionisa
culturalobjectwithinthemeaningofArticle1(1);
4.takeanynecessarymeasuresforthephysicalpreser­
vationoftheculturalobject;
5.prevent,throughthenecessaryinterimmeasures,any
actiontoevadepossiblereturn; 5.'return'meansthephysicalreturnofthecultural
objecttotheterritoryoftherequestingMember
State;
6.actasintermediarybetweentheholderandthe
requestingMemberState.6.'holder'meansthepersonphysicallyholdingthe
culturalobject.
Article2
Culturalobjectswhichhavebeenunlawfullyremoved
fromtheterritoryofaMemberStateshallbereturnedin
accordancewiththeprocedureandinthecircumstances
providedforinthisDirective.Article5
TherequestingMemberStatemayinitiate,beforethe
competentcourtintherequestedMemberState,
proceedingsagainsttheholderwiththeaimofsecuring
thereturnofaculturalobjectwhichhasbeenunlawfully
removedfromitsterritory.
Article3
EachMemberStateshallappointoneormorecentral
authoritiestocarryoutthetasksprovidedforinthis
Directive .Proceedingsmaybebroughtonlywherethedocument
initiatingthemisaccompaniedby:
adocumentdescribingtheobjectcoveredbythe
requestandcertifyingthatitisaculturalobject
withinthemeaningofArticle1(1),MemberStatesshallinformtheCommissionofallthe
centralauthoritiestheyappointpursuanttothisArticle.
TheCommissionshallpublishalistofthosecentral
authoritiesintheOfficialJournaloftheEuropean
Communities ,Cseries.—adeclarationbythecompetentauthoritiesofthe
requestingMemberStatethattheculturalobjecthas
beenunlawfullyremovedfromitsterritory.

28.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC53/13
Inthecaseofadonationorsuccession,theacquirershall
notbeinamorefavourablepositionthantheperson
fromwhomheacquiredtheobjectbythatmeans.Article6
ThecentralauthorityoftherequestingMemberState
shallforthwithinformthecentralauthorityofthe
requestedMemberStatethatproceedingshavebeen
initiatedwiththeaimofsecuringthereturnoftheobject
inquestion.TherequestingMemberStateshallpaysuchcompen­
sation.
ThecentralauthorityoftherequestedMemberState
shallforthwithinformthecentralauthoritiesoftheother
MemberStates.Article11
Expensesincurredinimplementing adecisionordering
thereturnofaculturalobjectshallbebornebythe
requestingMemberState.
Article7
ThecentralauthorityoftherequestedMemberStateor
ofotherMemberStateswhichhavealegitimateinterest
may,atitsrequest,takepartintheproceedingsreferred
toinArticle5.Article12
Paymentofthefaircompensationandoftheexpenses
referredtoinArticles10and11respectivelyshallbe
withoutprejudicetotherequestingMemberState'sright
totakeaction,underitsnationallaw,withaviewto
recoveringthoseamountsfromthepersonsresponsible
fortheunlawfulremovaloftheculturalobjectfromits
territory. Article8
1.ReturnproceedingsprovidedforinthisDirective
maynolongerbebroughtmorethanfiveyearsafterthe
requestingMemberStatebecameawareorought
reasonablytohavebecomeawareofthelocationofthe
culturalobjectortheidentityofitsholder.Such
proceedingsmay,atallevents,nolongerbebrought
morethan30yearsaftertheobjectwasunlawfully
removedfromtheterritoryoftherequestingMember
State.Article13
Ownershipoftheculturalobjectafterreturnshallbe
governedbythelawoftherequestingMemberState.
Article14
ThisDirectiveshallapplyonlytoculturalobjects
unlawfullyremovedfromtheterritoryofaMember
Stateonorafter1January1993. 2.Returnproceedingsmaynotbebroughtifremoval
fromthenationalterritoryisnolongerunlawful.
Article15
1.EachMemberStatemayextenditsobligationto
returnculturalobjectstocovercategoriesofobjectother
thanthoselistedintheAnnex.Article9
SaveasotherwiseprovidedinArticles8and14,the
competentcourtshallorderthereturnofthecultural
objectinquestionwhereitisfoundtobeacultural
objectwithinthemeaningofArticle1(1)andtohave
beenremovedunlawfullyfromnationalterritory.2.EachMemberStatemayapplythearrangements
providedforbythisDirectivetorequestsforthereturn
ofculturalobjectsunlawfullyremovedfromtheterritory
ofotherMemberStatespriorto1January1993.
Article10
Wherereturnoftheobjectisordered,theacquirershall
beentitledtofaircompensation ,tobedeterminedbythe
competentcourtaccordingtothecircumstancesofthe
case,onconditionthatheprovesthathecouldnothave
known,orcouldnothavebeenexpectedtoknow,that
theobjecthadbeenunlawfullyremovedfromthe
territoryoftherequestingMemberState.Article16
ThisDirectiveshallbewithoutprejudicetoanycivilor
criminalproceedingsthatmaybebrought,underthe
nationallawsoftheMemberStates,bytherequesting
MemberStateand/ortheownerofaculturalobjectthat
hasbeenstolen.

NoC53/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 28.2.92
Article17
1.MemberStatesshallsendtheCommission each
year,andforthefirsttimeinFebruary1994,areporton
theapplicationofthisDirective .
2.TheCommission shallsendtheCouncil,the
EuropeanParliamentandtheEconomicandSocial
Committeeeverythreeyearsareportreviewingthe
applicationofthisDirective.
Inthelightoftheassessmentoftheeffectivenessofthe
returnmachinery,itshall,whereappropriate,propose
amendments tothisDirective .
Article18
ForthepurposesofrevisingtheAnnextothisDirective,
theCommissionshallbeassistedbythecommitteesetup
byRegulation(EEC)No...
TherepresentativeoftheCommissionshallsubmittothe
committeeadraftofthemeasurestobetaken.The
committeeshalldeliveritsopiniononthedraft,withina
timelimitwhichthechairmanmaylaydownaccording
totheurgencyofthematter,ifnecessarybytakinga
vote.Theopinionshallberecordedintheminutes;in
addition,eachMemberStateshallhavetherighttoask
tohaveitspositionrecordedintheminutes.
TheCommission shalltaketheutmostaccountofthe
opiniondeliveredbythecommittee .Itshallinformthe
committeeofthemannerinwhichitsopinionhasbeen
takenintoaccount.
Thecommitteeshallexamineanyquestionarisingfrom
theapplicationoftheAnnextothisDirectivewhichmay
betabledbythechairmaneitheronhisowninitiativeor
attherequestofaMemberState'srepresentative .
Article19
MemberStatesshallbringintoforcethelaws,regu­
lationsandadministrativeprovisionsnecessarytocomply
withthisDirectivenotlaterthan1January1993.They
shallforthwithinformtheCommissionthereof.
WhenMemberStatesadopttheseprovisions,theseshall
containareferencetothisDirectiveorshallbeaccom­
paniedbysuchreferenceatthetimeoftheirofficial
publication .Theprocedureforsuchreferenceshallbe
adoptedbyMemberStates.
Article20
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.
ANNEX
CategoriesofobjectreferredtointhesecondindentofArticle1(1)towhichobjectsclassedas'national
treasures'withinthemeaningofArticle36oftheTreatymustbelongtoqualifyforreturnunderthis
Directive
A.1.Productsofarchaeological excavationsandarchaeological finds,morethan100yearsold
2.Elementsofartistic,historicalorreligiousmonumentsorarchaeological siteswhichhavebeen
dismembered ,includingfurniture,morethan100yearsold
3.Pictures,paintingsanddrawingsproducedentirelybyhandonanysupportandinanymaterial(')
4.Originalengravings,printsandlithographsandlithographicplates(')
5.Originalworksofstatuaryartorsculpture(')
6.Constructionsandcompositeworks(')
7.Photographs(')
8.Manuscriptsmorethan100yearsoldandincunabula,singlyorincollections
9.Booksmorethan200yearsold,singlyorincollections
(')Ofdeceasedauthors.

28.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC53/15
10.Archivesofanykind,onanymedium,morethan50yearsold
11.Collectionsandspecimensforcollectionsofpostagestamps
12.Collectionsandspecimensoffauna,flora,mineralsoranatomyorofhistorical,archaeological ,
palaeontological ,ethnographicornumismaticinterest
13.Motorvehiclesmorethan75yearsold
14.Antiquesandcollectors'piecesmorethan100yearsold
TheculturalobjectsinthesecategoriesareonlycoveredbythepresentDirectiveiftheyfulfilthe
financialcriteriaunderB.
B.FinancialcriteriaapplicabletocertaincategoriesunderA:
Category3:—Objectsfrombetween1600and1900:ECU75000;
—Objectsfromafter1900:ECU150000;
Category4:ECU7500;
Category5:ECU50000;
Category6:ECU100000;
Category7:ECU7500;
Category11:ECU35000;
Category14:—Furniture,furnishingsordecorativeitems:ECU20000;
—Musicalinstruments :ECU20000;
—Anyotherobject:ECU50000.
Theassessmentofwhetherornotamonetarythresholdisreachedmustbemadewhenreturnis
requested .ThemonetaryvalueisthatoftheobjectintherequestedMemberState.