Photo: I. Tarsis, Sometime in Greece
By Jacqueline Koutrodimos-Lewis
This year, Greece has passed a new law to combat art crime, including forgery, trafficking, and vandalism, with offenders now facing fines of up to €300,000 and prison sentences of up to 10 years.[1] A new Ministry of Culture unit, the Department of Works of Art, along with a centralized registry of expert art appraisers, aims to stop the recirculation of forged materials by encouraging transparency and cooperation within the art market.[2] In collaboration with competent authorities and professionals, these specialized forces are expected to strengthen the traceability of works, protect art market personnel, and restore confidence in a system that has come under scrutiny for fraudulent activity in recent years.[3]
This provision was first introduced as Greece's first comprehensive institutional framework for the prevention and combating of forgery and fraud involving works of art and collectibles. Approved by Parliament on January 29, 2026, the draft bill of the Ministry of Culture marked both symbolic and legal steps toward safeguarding cultural heritage, protecting artists, and ensuring ethical art market operations.[4]
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