Export of cultural goods (amend. annex Regul. 3911/92/EEC)

OBJECTIVE: to amend Council Regulation (EEC) No 3911/92 on the export of cultural goods, with a view to solving the problem of water colours, pastels and gouaches, which are classified, in the Regulation, both as paintings and as drawings. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Regulation (EC) No 2469/96 amending the Annex to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3911/92 on the export of cultural goods. SUBSTANCE: for the purposes of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3911/92, works done using water colours, gouaches and pastels are to be classified either as paintings or as drawings, corresponding respectively to categories 3 and 4 of the Regulation. However, for each of these categories, different financial thresholds are applicable, which could lead to serious differences of treatment of such works depending upon in which Member State they are situated and the differing national artistic traditions (which attach more or less value to one or another type of production). To avoid this problem, the Regulation finally settles the question as to which category such works should be put into by creating a new separate category with its own threshold of ECU 30 000, thus ensuring that: - works of major significance would require an export licence, - there would not be the creation of any undue administrative load placed upon the licencing authorities. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 27 December 1996. �