Diana Wallis warns of "Bureaucratic Nightmare" in the Art Market
12.00.00am GMT Tue 28th Nov 2000
Diana Wallis MEP expressed her disappointment today with the outcome of a vote in her Legal Affairs Committee on Resale Rights in the Art Market.
The European Commission has proposed a Directive that extends to artists the right to participate in the proceeds of any resale of their works of art, and to their families and heirs for a further 70 years after their death.
In practice this would mean that when works of art are auctioned, the Auction House would be responsible for tracking down the artist or the heir to the artist's fortune, with a view to including them in any resale proceeds.
"It would be a bureaucratic nightmare," said Diana Wallis MEP, commenting after her amendments to the Directive were voted down. "This poses a clear threat to the future of the art market, not just in the UK, but across the EU."
Diana Wallis had sought to lengthen the period of implementation for the Directive to at least allow the UK and other countries that do not presently work under this system more time to adapt.
"This is one of the less sensible proposals for harmonization in the Internal Market put before the European Parliament. Making ourselves slaves to the Single Market ideal as a basis for such legislation is just plain idiocy."
Diana Wallis and her European Liberal Democrat colleagues will seek to amend the Directive again when it comes before the European Parliament's plenary session probably in December.
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