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Ladies and Gentlemen,

.As director of the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage - which is the institute that has organised this conference - I am proud to be able to welcome delegates from all 25 Member States of the European Union here today. Delegations have arrived from countries as far-flung as Cyprus and Finland, and Portugal and Poland.
The most remarkable thing about this gathering is that we find ourselves in the company of both museum directors and policy workers from the various Ministries of Culture. These people normally represent two completely different worlds, particularly in view of the way in which European policy on culture takes shape. I hope we can use this congress to discuss matters openly and take the opportunity to learn from one another.

During the past few months, the conference team has been working very hard to compile a varied programme based on contributions from the various Member States, making this a truly European conference.

So why has the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage{ICN )organised this conference?

The ICN is an external department of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. It advises the State Secretary with regard to the conservation and management of moveable cultural heritage. The Institute is a knowledge centre that focuses on research, training, advice and collection management. However, all these different areas share common ground with the aspect of collection mobility. Every day, ICN staff are faced with issues concerning transportation, preservation, security, loaning procedures and insurance. Although we do not have presentation or exhibition space of our own, we do manage one of the largest art collections in the Netherlands. This means that we have the continuous task of mobilizing our collections to locations where they can be viewed by the public. And these locations are not always inside museums; they can also be elsewhere. The ICN and its predecessors boast fifty years of experience in collection mobility, and our Institute can quite rightly call itself the leading ‘hands-on expert’ in this field in the Netherlands. Of course this does not mean that we have a monopoly on wisdom. Which is why we have organised this congress. It as an opportunity to share and exchange information, experience and expertise, with the aim of easing the way for collection mobility between the member States.

Let me give you a few brief examples of the kind of questions that we at the ICN try to answer:

Is it possible to exhibit museum objects outside the context of museums in a responsible manner? What are the risks in terms of preservation and security? How can you safeguard supervision of the objects in the long term? Where does our responsibility end, and where does that of the borrower begin? And which locations are suitable for exhibiting objects outside museums? Ministries? Airports? Parliament? Hotels? Department stores? Here in the Netherlands, we are only just beginning to explore the possibilities. But we have already learned two things: the possibilities are endless and there is growing enthusiasm for projects of this kind.

The Collections department at the ICN manages more than one hundred thousand objects and maintains loan relations with more than fifteen hundred organisations at home and abroad. So it is only logical that we put enormous effort into tackling issues such as optimising our loan procedures and business relations. We invest in digital systems, guidelines, standards, simplified procedures and also collections that can be loaned out at short notice. Having said this, we also try to safeguard the quality of our loan services and the security of our objects. I am convinced that we could benefit enormously at international level if we were to draw up guidelines and bring them into line. To my mind, this would not necessarily lead to more bureaucracy. Your conference file contains a number of documents that we think could be used as international models.

The consultancy department at the ICN also plays a role in collection mobility. Staff working in this department receive regular queries about relocating redundant museum collections within the public domain. Our status as a national institute means that we have swift access to current information on what is being stored in the Dutch museums and the various other institutions maintaining collections, such as churches and universities. Therefore, we are often able to help institutions relocate individual objects or entire collections. At present, we are designing a database to enable museums to offer surplus objects to be placed in other museums via the Internet.

In terms of scientific research, objects ‘on the move’ are a continual source of interest to the Institute. For example, we look into the potential damage that vibrations could cause to our objects during various forms of transportation. Or the effects of vibrations caused by music or building activities. Did you know that objects in display cabinets can literally go on the move as a result of vibrations of this kind?
Those of you who have visited the ICN in Amsterdam will know that our premises are located on Museumplein (the square you will be able to see later in the film). This square is a regular setting for large demonstrations, often accompanied by loud music. The van Gogh museum, which is also on this square, has asked us to investigate the effect that sound waves are having on the layers of paint on their paintings. We have also coordinated research into vibrations for the satellite Rijksmuseum at Schiphol airport.

The ICN also plays an important part in granting indemnity for important exhibitions. In this role, our task is to ensure clear, transparent regulations and a further reduction in insurance costs.

I hope I have managed to demonstrate that collection mobility plays a very large part in our work at the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage, and that it touches on many different areas. It was an obvious choice for the ICN to organise this conference; the subject is one that is close to our hearts. I hope that we can count on your active contributions during the next two days to help bring the themes/subjects/issues another step forwards, and to make this conference a success. The Dutch permanent representative in Brussels will convey the outcome of this conference to the European Council.

I would like to wish you two inspiring days and many new (heritage) friends.