OBJECTIVE: to amend Directive 93/7/EEC on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed
from the territory of a Member State in order to deal with the problem of water-colour, gouache and
pastel pictures which are regarded as being either paintings or drawings.
COMMUNITY MEASURE: Directive 96/100/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
amending the Annex to Directive 93/7/EEC on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed
from the territory of a Member State.
SUBSTANCE: For the purposes of Directive 93/7/EEC water-colour, gouache and pastel pictures
are regarded as being either paintings or drawings, corresponding to categories 3 and 4 respectively
of this Directive. Different financial thresholds apply for each of these categories which causes
serious differences of treatment of the pictures depending on the Member States in which they are
situated and the current national artistic traditions (which place differing values on different types
of work).
To deal with this problem this amendment to the directive decides specifically in which category this
type of picture falls by creating a new distinct category with a threshold set at ECU 30 000. This
threshold ensures that works of major significance unlawfully removed from the territory of a
Member State can be returned.
DEADLINE FOR TRANSPOSITION: 17/08/1997
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