New EU regulation complicates art imports for French dealers
- A new European regulation effective June 28, 2025, requires importers of cultural goods from non-EU countries to present provenance documentation.
- The regulation aims to combat illicit trafficking in art but raises concerns in France's art community about its implications for the market.
- Art dealers, like Antonia Eberwein, express fears that this could lead to a decline in acquisitions from outside the EU and further issues in the art market.
In France, as of June 28, 2025, a new European regulation mandates that any importer of cultural goods from non-EU countries must present documents certifying the provenance of these items to secure an import license for resale. This regulation is part of an ongoing effort that began in 2019 aimed at combating the financing of terrorism linked to the illicit trafficking of art. Antonia Eberwein, vice-president of the National Union of Antiquarians (SNA), voiced her concerns regarding the potential impact of this regulation on the art market, suggesting that it could lead to a significant reduction in purchases from outside the European Union. Eberwein fears that it may impoverish the market not only for archaeological pieces but also for various other precious items including icons and pre-Columbian, Indian, or Chinese artworks. The regulation intends to curb illicit trafficking; however, Eberwein and others are skeptical about its effectiveness, arguing that such trafficking is typically clandestine and hence hard to control or eliminate through regulation.