On 17 January 2019 the European Parliament will vote on the Draft Report on cross-border restitution claims of looted works and cultural goods, published by the Committee on Legal Affairs on 5 November and which had its first reading on 20 November 2018. The Report notes that 'insufficient attention has been paid at EU level to the restitution of works of art and cultural goods looted in armed conflicts, in particular in the fields of private law, private international law and civil procedure', calls on the European Commission to address a number of central issues. These include protecting cross-border restitution claims, identifying civil law measures to help overcome the problems encountered by individuals seeking the restitution of works of art found on the art market, creating a comprehensive listing of all Jewish-owned cultural objects plundered by the Nazis and their allies, establishing appropriate limitation periods for Nazi-looted art, clarifying the notion of due diligence in relation to good faith, developing common principles for access to public and private archives, and for how ownership or title are established as well as rules on prescription and standards of proof and the concept of looting and art.
To read the Draft Report, click here. Members of the Committee are listed here.