
Paris – Starting June 28, any importer of art objects must present documentation proving the provenance of items sourced from non-EU countries to acquire an import license for resale, as mandated by a new European regulation.
This requirement will be managed through a centralized computer system established in 2019 aimed at preventing the financing of terrorism via the illicit trade of art. However, this regulation has sparked concerns among art dealers and gallery owners.
Antonia Eberwein, vice-president of the National Union of Antiquarians (SNA), voiced her worries, stating, “We will end up buying nothing outside the European Union.” She emphasized the potential negative impact on the market for archaeological artifacts as well as for items like icons, pre-Columbian, Indian, or Chinese art, cautioning that this regulation may not effectively curtail illicit trafficking, which is inherently covert and unreported.
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