The Working Group on Technical Barriers to Trade is responsible for Cultural goods legislation contained in Annex II, Chapter XXVIII of the EEA Agreement.
Although one of the fundamental principles of the EEA Agreement is to ensure free movement of goods, it does not mean that all products can circulate freely. One exemption to this principle is the protection of national treasures, as set out in Article 13 of the EEA Agreement.
The aim of the regulatory framework is to provide the legal basis for cooperation mechanisms and a procedure for returning national treasures when these have left the territory of a Member State unlawfully.
See also:
DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROWTH) - Cultural goods