The amendments to Law No. 280/2011 “On the Protection of National Movable Cultural Heritage” establish the mechanism by which movable cultural property can be returned or seized, and consolidate the powers of the Ministry of Culture and the Service for Registration and Circulation of Movable Cultural Property.
A national mechanism for the protection of movable cultural heritage in emergency situations is also established.
Minister of Culture Sergiu Prodan emphasized that the risk of illicit trafficking of movable cultural property increases in the context of border warfare. The lack of a clear legal framework delays or even blocks the return of cultural heritage objects. The new amendments will ensure a faster, clearer and more efficient resolution of such cases.
“Thus, we protect movable cultural property located in museums, archives, public libraries and religious institutions in Moldova. And we also introduce clear procedures for the return of movable cultural property illegally exported from the territory of an EU member state, as well as the return of illegally exported from Moldova,” Prodan said.
It should be noted that the costs related to the restitution procedures will be borne by the requesting state. The new rules apply to cultural values illegally exported from a country or an EU state after January 1, 1993.
Collected information.
