WRITTEN QUESTION E-1064/02 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Protection of antiquities in European museums.
Date: 2002-04-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: application of EU law, competence of the Member States, cultural heritage, cultural object, heritage protection, museum

C 229 E/174

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

(2002/C 229 E/201)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1064/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Subject: Protection of antiquities in European museums

It is common knowledge that many valuable Greek antiquities have been illegally exported from Greece
and have been found in museums such as the Louvre or the British Museum. It is also common knowledge
that the treatment of the Parthenon marbles, stolen by Lord Elgin and now in the British Museum, can be
described as anything but civilised since the room in which they are exhibited is often the venue for
dinners, lunches and cocktail parties (!) for large numbers of guests.

The situation at the Louvre is equally unacceptable. Masterpieces such as the Venus de Milo, the Nike of
Samothrace and paintings by artists such as Delacroix and El Greco are exhibited with no protection
whatsoever (e.g. display cabinets, special air conditioning etc) and the museum authorities allow hundreds
of thousands of tourists to photograph them without restriction.

However, in the room of the Louvre exhibiting the diadem and jewellery of the Empress Josephine, there
are special protective display cabinets and flash photography is strictly prohibited despite the fact that the
objects are infinitely more recent than the priceless Greek antiquities.

Is the Commission aware of the unacceptable situation at the Louvre and the British Museum? Are the
Commission’s departments aware of the conditions in which priceless antiquities and exhibits belonging to
the world’s cultural heritage are kept? Does the Commission monitor whether such priceless works of art
are treated indifferently or harmfully? What means are available to the Commission to intervene and
their exhibits
compel the authorities of every European museum, small and large alike,
effectively, especially those which are in their possession totally improperly and unlawfully? How might
stolen archaeological finds be returned to their place of origin?

to protect

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(30 May 2002)

As regards the question of assessing the conditions under which works of art are kept in museums and the
means available to the Commission to intervene, the Commission would draw the Honourable Member’s
attention to the fact that the Community has neither the technical nor the legal means to take action. It is
up to the Member States concerned, via their various national bodies, to develop a policy for the
protection of the cultural heritage.

As far as the movement, recovery and return of works of art are concerned, we would draw attention to
Council Regulation (EEC) No 3911/92 of 9 December 1992 on the export of cultural goods (1) and Council
Directive 93/7/EEC of 15 March 1993 on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the
territory of a Member State (2).

With regard to the return proceedings, the Directive provides for a time-limit of 75 years from the date of
export and is concerned solely with goods removed unlawfully from the territory of a Member State after
10 January 1993, unless Member States have passed specific legislation.

(1) OJ L 395, 31.12.1992.
(2) OJ L 74, 27.3.1993.