The Council of Europe participated in the meeting of the CULTNET Network of experts in the protection of historical heritage, organised by the Historical Heritage Brigade of the Spanish National Police, within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was held in Madrid between 24th and 26th October and had the aim of discussing current and future experiences and lines of work related to the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.

CULTNET Network was created by an EU Council Resolution in October 2012 and is an informal network of police authorities and experts, competent in the field of cultural heritage protection. Its objectives are to strengthen coordination between police forces, cultural authorities and private organisations, such as antique dealers or auction houses, and to establish common guidelines for action in the fight against criminal organisations involved in the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

The workshop brought together police delegations from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine. The European Commission and members of international organisations such as Europol, Interpol, the World Customs Organization and experts on cultural heritage from third countries also participated in the meeting, including Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador and Ukraine.