Details on France’s new law on returning looted artifacts, and what it means for Egypt

The law grants the government the authority to return artifacts in the public domain to their countries of origin through an official document, without the need for separate legislation for each individual piece.

Cultural Property

The text of the law, published in the French Official Journal, states: “The law allows for the removal of cultural property from the public domain by direct government decree, but requires the consent of the owner if the item belongs to a public institution not affiliated with the state.”

Details of the Law

The law covers cultural property that entered France between November 20, 1815, and April 23, 1972, a period spanning from the beginning of modern French colonial expansion until the UNESCO Convention on the Restitution of Cultural Property entered into force under international law.

Senior archaeologist Magdy Shaker revealed that this decision does not benefit Egypt in any way, as the law stipulates the return of cultural property that entered France between November 20, 1815, and April 23, 1972.