kulturgutschutz deutschland

Go to:

Belgium

Contracting State since
2009.03.31
Lastly updated
2022.03.02

Contact for consular services

German Embassy
Bilateral relations and German missions
homepage: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/laenderinformationen

National legal bases

The protection of cultural property is federally regulated by the law on the restitution of cultural property unlawfully removed from the territory of a foreign state (Loi relative à la restitution de biens culturels ayant quitté illicitement le territoire de certains Etats étrangers, Dossier numéro 1996-10-28/54).
The law of 28.10.1996 was last amended by the law of 23.5.2016 (Dossier numéro 2016-05-04/09).
Beside it stands a decree specific to the Wallonia-Brussels Federation on movable cultural property and the intangible heritage of the French Community of 11 July 2002 (Décret relatif aux biens culturels mobiliers et au patrimoine immatériel de la Communauté française)

EU regulations
The licence for the export of cultural goods from the European customs territory is subject to Council Regulation (EC) No. 116/2009 of 18 December 2008 on the export of cultural goods (OJ L 39, 10.2.2009, p. 1). Exports to the internal market, however, are subject to national regulations, which may differ
from the Council regulation with respect to the value and age thresholds of the categories of the protected cultural property (Overview of this).

Further information on the legal situation can be requested from the EUR-Lex Datenbank. The EU also maintains a special database for the regulations regarding the protection of cultural property. The multilingual UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws provides access to the relevant national legal bases. A brochure on the functionality of this database can be found here. Another source of information on national cultural asset protection laws is the Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws On Crime (SHERLOC) of the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC).

Definition of cultural property

The Federation of Wallonia-Brussels keeps a list of cultural objects classified as national treasures. 

Export ban

The export decision of cultural goods is reserved to the government of the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels and the Flemish government. Objects classified there can definitively not be exported.
The conditions for export depend on the linguistic community to which the Belgian seller belongs and the location of the cultural object.
According to the decree of 11.7.2002, there is a general ban on the permanent export of those cultural goods of the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels that are classified as national treasures. Export may be refused by the government if the export would risk causing great harm to the cultural heritage of the
Federation of Wallonia-Brussels.
For more information, see the website of the Federation of Wallonia-Brussels.

There is a negative certification of the Flemish community.

Authorities responsible for issuing export permits

Responsibility for export licensing lies with the regional communities. Up-to-date information is available from the Service Public Fédéral Finances. For cultural goods from Brussels, it is possible to apply for an export license either at the Federation Wallonia-Brussels or at the Flemish Community.

Departement Cultuur, Jeugd en Media
Cultuurgoederen
Arenbergstraat 9
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Contact
Phone: 0032/2 553.68.26 or 0032/499 9493 10 (M. Hans Feys)
E-Mail: hans.feys@vlaanderen.be
Communauté française
Ministère de la Communauté française
Service général du Patrimoine
Boulevard Léopold  II 44
1080 Bruxelles
Belgium
Contact
Phone: 0032/2 413.25.44 (Mme Caroline Marchant)
E-Mail: caroline.marchant@cfwb.be
Ministry of the German-speaking Community
Department of Cultural Affairs
Gospertstrasse  1
4700 Eupen
Belgium
Contact
Phone: 0032/87 59.63.00
E-Mail: kulturerbe@dgov.be

Procedure

Duration
No information available
Costs
free of charge

Forms

Here is a standard form of the Walloon Community for the export of cultural goods to the Community´s internal market. 

Explanations of the form can be found here.

Further Information

See the note on the Belgian Customs homepage: "Cultural and sacred objects: some valuable antiques, works of art or sacred objects may only be exported from the country with a special permit."

See further under "Information on customs formalities":
For more information, contact the Federal Public Service Finance, Customs and Excise Administration Information Center:
Telefon: 0032/2 576 30 19 und 0032/2 576 52 19
Email: info.douane@minfin.fed.be

French community:
Ministère de la Communauté francaise
Service général du Patrimoine
Madame Caroline Marchant
44 Bld Léopold II, 1080 Bruxelles
Tél: 0032/2 413.25.44
Email: caroline.marchant@cfwb.be

Flemish community:
Vlaamse overheid
Departement Cultuur, Jeugd en Media
Cultuurgoederen
t.a.v. de heer Hans Feys
Arenbergstraat 9, 1000 Brussel
Tel. 0032/2 553 68 26
Email: hans.feys@vlaanderen.be

German-speaking community:
Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft
Frau Tatjana Cormann
Gospertstraße 1, 4700 Eupen
Email: tatjana.cormann@dgov.be

Disclaimer
The above information is based on the information available and deemed trustworthy at the time indicated, in particular the information provided by the State and the information as available in the UNESCO database . No guarantee can be given for the correctness and completeness of this information, nor can any liability be accepted for any damage that may occur. Legal regulations may change at any time without the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media being informed. The decision to acquire, import, export or place cultural property on the market is your sole responsibility. It is therefore recommended that you contact the relevant diplomatic or consular representation and/or the export authorities of the respective foreign country.