The German federal cabinet has approved a draft guideline for amending the Cultural Goods Protection Act presented by the Federal Government’s Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM). The amendment aims to make the law more user-friendly and practice-oriented and to adapt it to the further developed legal framework at the European Union level, according to the German government.
The amendment will facilitate international loan traffic between museums for the purpose of research and restoration projects. The trade will be relieved of increased duty of care by raising the relevant value limit from 2,500 to 5,000 euros. However, stricter requirements will still apply to archaeological cultural goods, regardless of this.
Furthermore, the proposed changes are expected to strengthen legal certainty. For example, it will be clearly regulated for state cultural authorities under what circumstances cultural goods illegally imported from other countries must be seized. Additional clarifications are also intended to simplify the application of the law in practice. The changes are scheduled to take effect in summer 2025.
“Only a few days after the start of the new federal government, we are fulfilling a promise from the coalition agreement today” said Federal Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer. “The planned amendments will make the rules easier to apply and more understandable.” This is a “welcome message” for all users – traders, collectors, or cultural heritage preserving institutions.