European Commission (2011a)
Contents
Source Details
| European Commission (2011a) | |
| Title: | Report on the Implementation and Effect of the Resale Right Directive (2001/84/EC) |
| Author(s): | European Commission |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Citation: | Report on the Implementation and Effect of the Resale Right Directive (2001/84/EC), European Commission (2011), available at |
| Link(s): | Definitive , Open Access |
| Key Related Studies: | |
| Discipline: | |
| Linked by: | |
| About the Data | |
| Data Description: | In preparing this Report, the Commission conducted a broad-based public consultation on all key questions identified in Article 11, including seeking information from Member States. 503 responses were received for publication. Of these the vast majority (422) were from citizens - artists' successors in title (248, primarily in France and Italy) and artists (174, primarily from France and the UK). Responses were also received from art market professionals (48), collecting societies, artists' trade associations and some public authorities. |
| Data Type: | Primary and Secondary data |
| Secondary Data Sources: | |
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| Data Analysis Methods: | |
| Industry(ies): | |
| Country(ies): | |
| Cross Country Study?: | Yes |
| Comparative Study?: | Yes |
| Literature review?: | No |
| Government or policy study?: | No |
| Time Period(s) of Collection: |
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| Funder(s): |
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Abstract
The Resale Right Directive (2001/84/EC of 27 September 2001) ('the Directive') was conceived with two major objectives in mind: to "ensure that authors of graphic and plastic works of art share in the economic success of their original works of art"1 on the one hand and, on the other, to harmonise the application of the right across the EU. It was considered that "The application or non-application of such a right has a significant impact on the competitive environment within the internal market, since the existence or absence of an obligation to pay on the basis of the resale right is an element which must be taken into account by each individual wishing to sell a work of art. This right is therefore a factor which contributes to the creation of distortions of competition as well as displacement of sales within the Community."
Consistent with these aims, the Directive promoted harmonisation of the substantive conditions for the application of the resale right: (i) eligibility and the duration of protection; (ii) the categories of works of art to which the resale right applies; (iii) the scope of the acts to be covered i.e. all acts involving dealers in works of art; (iv) the royalty rates applicable across defined price bands; (v) the maximum threshold for a minimum resale price attracting the right (€3,000); and (vi) provisions on third country nationals entitled to receive royalties. The Directive came into force on 1 January 2006.
At the time the Directive was agreed 4 of the then 15 Member States did not apply the resale right in national law: Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. These Member States enjoyed a transitional period to 1 January 2010 during which they could choose not to apply the resale right to the works of eligible deceased artists. These Member States, together with Malta, made use of this provision, and of the option to extend the derogation period for a further 2 years. This derogation comes to an end on 1 January 2012, at which point the Directive must be fully implemented in all Member States.
Article 11 of the Directive foresees that the Commission should submit to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee a report on the implementation and the effect of the Directive. This report answers to that requirement. In line with the provisions of Article 11 this Report examines in particular the impact of the Directive on the internal market and the effect of the introduction of the resale right in those Member States that did not apply the right in national law prior to the entry into force of this Directive. It pays particular attention to the position of the Community in relation to relevant markets that do not apply the resale right, assesses the role of the Directive in the fostering of artistic creativity and reviews the situation with regard to the management procedures in the Member States.
Main Results of the Study
No clear patterns can be established to link the loss of the EU's share in the global market formodern and contemporary art with the harmonisation of provisions relating to the application of the resale right in the EU on 1 January 2006. Neither can any clear patterns currently be established that would indicate systematic trade diversion within the EU away from those Member States which introduced the right for living artists in 2006. Nevertheless, there are clearly pressures on European art markets, in all price ranges, and for both the auction and dealer sectors, and it is recalled that the scope of the application of the resale right will be significantly expanded following the ending of the derogation for the works of deceased artists on 1 January 2012.At the same time, the quality of the administration of the resale right appears to vary considerably across the EU, bringing costs to art market professionals and artists alike. The burden can be particularly high for those at the lower end of the market who are proportionately more deeply affected by the costs of administering the right. The Commission recognises, furthermore, that in some Member States inefficient administration of the resale right presents a not insignificant burden on art market professionals and may also lead to unnecessarily high deductions from the royalties due to artists and their successors.
Policy Implications as Stated By Author
•In light of the economic significance of the sector, the Commission considers that market developments should be kept under review. The Commission will undertake a further reporting exercise and deliver its results in 2014. The Commission will also pursue its commitment to persuading third countries to implement the resale right.• In light of the volume of transactions subject to the resale right, the European Commission also considers that there would be benefit in the exchange of best practice at European level with a view to managing and minimising the administrative costs in all Member states. To this end it intends to establish a Stakeholder Dialogue, tasked with making recommendations for the improvement of the system of resale right collection and distribution in the EU.• More broadly, the European Commission is concerned that collecting societies should operate to a high standard of governance and transparency with regard to their members and to commercial users, and will bring forward a proposal in this regard during 2012 to apply in equal measure to collecting societies administering the resale right.
Coverage of Study
Datasets
| Sample size: | 503 |
| Level of aggregation: | Stakeholders |
| Period of material under study: | 2010 |
