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Regulation

OIMAP Directives 2019

The seven directives adopted in 2019: registry, mutual recognition, diligence, transparency, circulation, good faith and authentication.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

The Judgment of Solomon and Esther before Ahasuerus (pair), Dirk Vellert (c. 1530)The seven directivesEach of the seven OIMAP directives of 2019 presented: purpose, obligations, addressees and examples of application.› Dr. James Stuart; Mary Campbell Stuart, Gilbert Stuart (c. 1815)Implementation of the directivesHow Member States transpose the seven directives: progress, difficulties, support and timetable.› Leaf from a Lectionary with St. Luke (1057–1063)Frequently asked questions on the directivesAnswers to the most frequently asked questions on the seven OIMAP directives of 2019: scope, obligations, sanctions and remedies.›

Seven directives for a common market

Hours of Queen Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Spain, Master of the First Prayerbook of Maximillian (c. 1500)
Hours of Queen Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Spain, Master of the First Prayerbook of Maximillian (c. 1500)

In 2019, the OIMAP Assembly of Member States adopted seven directives that form the common foundation of art market regulation. Each deals with a specific question and sets obligations that States must transpose into their law.

They answer a simple idea: an operator who follows the same rules in sixty-seven States can work without fearing differences. In 2024, sixty-one States had transposed the seven directives.

This section has three pages: the seven directives, implementation and frequently asked questions.

  • Directives
  • 2019
  • Transposition

OIMAP Directives 2019 in figures

7Directives
2019Year of adoption
61 / 67States that have transposed
36 monthsTransposition period

Source: OIMAP Legal Affairs Department.

The three pages of the section

The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)TextsThe seven directives

Content of each directive.

›Qur'an Manuscript Folio (recto; verso); Left side of Bifolio (800s)PracticeImplementation

Transposition and monitoring by States.

›Sketches in Belgium and Germany, Volume I: Hall of Justice of the Magistrates du Franc, Bruges, Louis Haghe (1840)FAQFrequently asked questions

Answers to the most frequently asked questions.

›

Breakdown

Full transposition61
Partial transposition4
Transposition under way2

Member States by state of transposition.

Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855)
The Antechamber of the Palace of Justice, Paris, Charles Meryon (1855)
Missale: Fol. 185v: Crucifixion with borders (full page), Bartolommeo Caporali (1469)
Missale: Fol. 185v: Crucifixion with borders (full page), Bartolommeo Caporali (1469)

An architecture in seven parts

The first directive creates the registry of works and their numbering. The second establishes mutual recognition of certificates. The third sets operators' due diligence, the fourth the transparency of transactions, the fifth circulation and licences, the sixth the protection of the good-faith buyer, the seventh authentication.

These seven parts form a system: the work is identified (01), its certificate is recognised (02), the operator checks (03), declares (04), circulates (05), is protected if they have done their job properly (06), and authenticity is established by a common method (07).

A text negotiated by States

The directives were drawn up by a drafting committee made up of lawyers from twenty States, after two public consultations and three readings by the Assembly. They were the subject of compromises: fairly long transposition periods, proportionality clauses for small operators, transitional regimes.

They are supplemented by recommendations and guides that clarify their application, but which have no binding force.

A foundation that evolves

The 2019 directives are not set in stone. They are revised every five years, preceded by an evaluation and a public consultation. The first revision is planned for 2024-2025 and will notably cover due diligence applied to online sales.

Between two revisions, the drafting committee may propose targeted amendments when practice shows the need. Several have already been adopted for directives 03 and 04.

The seven directives

A system of seven texts
No.PurposeMain addressees
2019-01Registry of works and numberingStates, Secretariat
2019-02Mutual recognition of certificatesStates
2019-03Due diligenceOperators
2019-04Transparency of transactionsOperators
2019-05Circulation and licencesStates, customs
2019-06Good-faith acquirerJudges, buyers
2019-07AuthenticationExperts, certification committee

Landmarks

  1. Start of the work

    Drafting committee.

  2. Public consultations

    Two consultations.

  3. Adoption

    Seven directives.

  4. Full transposition

    36-month period elapsed.

Transposition does not mean identity

Qur'an Manuscript Folio (800s)
Qur'an Manuscript Folio (800s)
Mercury (Budha), from a Mandi Astrology Series, Sanju (c. 1810)
Mercury (Budha), from a Mandi Astrology Series, Sanju (c. 1810)
St. Catherine of Siena and the Beggar, Giovanni di Paolo (1460s)
St. Catherine of Siena and the Beggar, Giovanni di Paolo (1460s)

Directive or regulation

Leaf from a Missal: The Crucifixion (recto) and Text (verso) (c. 1330–40)

OIMAP directive

Objectives to be achieved
  • Transposition by each State
  • Respect for legal traditions
  • Flexibility

OIMAP's choice.

Miniature from a Manuscript of the Apocalypse: The War in Heaven (c. 1295)

Regulation

Directly applicable text
  • Total uniformity
  • Less flexibility
  • Not adopted by the Assembly

Set aside in 2019.

Understanding the text of a directive

  1. Read

    Read the text.

  2. Identify

    Identify the obligations that apply to you.

  3. Search

    Consult the national transposition law.

  4. Apply

    Adapt your procedures.

  5. Monitor

    Check regularly.

For an operator

The chair of the drafting committee

Chemin de fer de Toulouse à Bayonne. Pont de l'Aran (en trois arches de 17m d'ouverture chacune). Situation des travaux au 21 juillet 1861, Édouard Baldus (1861)
« We wanted seven short, readable texts rather than a monumental code that nobody would read. »
Atty. Étienne Rousseau, chairman of the drafting committee

Vocabulary of the directives

Assembly of Member States
OIMAP's deliberative body.
Transposition
Incorporation of a directive into national law.
Proportionality clause
Relief for small operators.
Transitional regime
Temporary rules during a change.

Frequently asked questions

Do the directives apply to private individuals?

They mainly target operators, but some rights benefit private individuals.

Where can I read the text?
What if my State has not transposed?

Apply the directives as good practice.

Who checks?

The States and the Secretariat.

Useful documents

Contacts

The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80)
The Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Michiel van Overbeek (c. 1650–80)
Legal Affairs DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 02 00juridique@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

Discover the seven directives

Left side of a double-page album folio: Outside a Royal Encampment (recto) and Calligraphy, Persian Verses (verso), Bihzad (c. 1485)

Each directive in detail.

The seven directives
Image credits (23)
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