The implementation of EU Directive 2014/60 and the problems of the compliance of Italian legislation with international and EU law

Directive 2014/60/EU on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State, which replaced Council Directive 93/7/EEC, was implemented in Italy by legislative decree in January of 2016. This article provides a summary of the key provisions and changes under the recast Directive, an overview of its implementation in Italy, and an analysis of its relationship with the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. The main Italian legislation on the circulation of cultural property is also examined in order to provide a critical analysis of the problems concerning its consistency with the corresponding international and EU rules.