Member of the European Parliament Ilhan Kyuchyuk took part in the informal meeting of EU Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs in Cyprus in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) of the European Parliament.
The meeting, organised within the framework of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and hosted by Cyprus’ Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, focused on key non-legislative issues. These included returns, the future of the Schengen area, asset recovery, the cross-border return of illegally exported cultural property, as well as the treatment of juveniles and young adults within the criminal justice systems of the Member States.
Kyuchyuk stressed the need for more decisive action at European level to address legal gaps in cross-border restitution claims for cultural property. He underlined that the absence of a unified and modern EU legal framework creates serious challenges both for Member States and for the affected parties.
“The European Parliament has clearly stated that the current fragmented legal framework does not correspond to the scale and complexity of the problem. Pan-European solutions are needed to ensure legal certainty and the effective protection of cultural heritage,” Kyuchyuk said.
The Chair of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee also highlighted the need for urgent measures to bring greater transparency to a market that continues to operate with numerous “grey areas”. According to him, the creation of a transparent and lawful market is a key prerequisite for combating illicit trafficking, protecting former owners, and safeguarding cultural heritage as a shared European value.
Kyuchyuk noted that studies commissioned by the European Parliament through the Committee on Legal Affairs already propose a concrete set of measures capable of filling existing gaps and improving the European legal framework in this field.
The informal ministerial meeting, organised under the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is traditionally held in the host Member State and is dedicated to non-legislative issues in the area of justice and home affairs.
