But at the government level, the UK has so far adopted no policy initiatives to encourage museums to restitute colonial heritage. This contrasts with France, Germany and Austria, which have all taken steps to establish structures and legal frameworks for restitution over the past few years.
In the Netherlands the most immediate threat to continuing Dutch restitutions is budget cuts that may impact provenance research at museums, says Jos van Beurden an expert on colonial-era loot. The biggest government-funded research project, Pressing Matter, is financed until the end of this year. “Will they then be able to get money for it?” Van Beurden questions. “The critical moment comes at the end of 2025.”
