Cultural Property Transfer Act (CPTA)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 15 Transfer to federal institutions
1 Federal institutions may not acquire or exhibit cultural property that: a. has been stolen, lost against the owner’s will or unlawfully excavated; b. forms part of the cultural heritage of a State and has been unlawfully exported from that State. 2 Federal institutions that are offered such property shall notify the Specialised Body immediately.
Art. 16 Duty of diligence
1 Cultural property may only be transferred in the art trade and the auction business if the person making the transfer can assume in the circumstances that the cultural property: a. has not been stolen, lost against the owner’s will or unlawfully excavated; b. has not been unlawfully imported. 2 Persons active in the art trade and in the auction business are required: a. to establish the identity of the suppliers or the seller and request them to provide a written declaration on their right to dispose of the cultural property; b. to inform their customers about the current import and export regulations of contracting States; c. to keep written records on the acquisition of cultural property and in particular the origin of the cultural property, insofar as it is known, and the name and the address of the supplier or seller, a description and the purchase price of the cultural property; d. to provide the Specialised Body with all the information that it requires on fulfilling this duty
Para. 3 — SR 220
Art. 17 Inspection
1 In order to verify compliance with the duty of diligence, the Specialised Body shall be granted access to the premises and storerooms of persons active in the art trade and in the auction business. 2 If it has reason to believe that that an offence has been committed under this Act, the Specialised Body shall report the matter to the competent prosecution authority.