Germany’s ministry of culture has finally released the draft bill for a proposed new cultural property law. Early versions, which were leaked to the press in the summer, elicited widespread protests from leading artists, collectors and dealers. The proposed new law aims to curb the import of illegal antiquities into Germany but would also impose much stricter controls on the export of works of art, even within the European Union.
After the outcry Germany’s minister of culture, Monika Grütters, revised some of the stipulations. The age threshold at which works of art would require an export licence has been raised from 50 to 70 years and the value of works from €150,000 to €300,000. Pieces by living artists can now only be categorised as national treasures with their consent. The ministry said in a statement that export licences will continue to be issued “within a few days in almost all cases”. A second round of consultation on the new bill is now taking place.