PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
BRITISH ART MARKET AND THE DROIT DE SUITE DIRECTIVE (23 February 1999)

That this House is alarmed at the severe damage that will be caused to the British art market if a droit de suite levy is imposed on the resale of most 20th century art by the proposed EU directive due to be decided at the Internal Market Council on 25th February; notes that according to the Government's estimate 5000 jobs will be lost as sales are transferred to non-EU countries where no such levy exists; further notes that living artists will obtain little or no benefit from the levy as sales of their work will be driven underground or moved to other countries; is dismayed that the EU German presidency is pressing ahead with the proposed directive by majority voting despite the certain damage that will be caused to Europe's premier art market; and calls on the Government to invoke the Luxembourg Compromise which enables member states to block EU proposals where important national interests are at stake, as the French Government successfully did in 1994 when the shipbuilding industry was threatened.

Sponsored by:
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Conservative)