Greece and other EU governments are calling for commitments from Britain that it will fight the illegal trade in historical objects after Brexit, saying that assurances are needed because of the country’s role as a global auction hub.
Athens has a longstanding grievance against Britain over its refusal to return the “Elgin Marbles”, sculptures held by the British Museum but originally sited on the Parthenon. It wants the UK to make guarantees that it will fight the smuggling of precious artefacts.
Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus have succeeded in convincing the rest of the EU to insert demands into their draft mandate for negotiations with the UK, saying that both sides should “address issues relating to the return or restitution of unlawfully removed cultural objects to their countries of origin”.