Concerns have been raised about the future of the Centre de Recherche & de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF). For more than three years, the French Ministry of Culture  has been planning the relocation of the facility as part of the expansion of exhibition space in the Louvre palace and the planned establishment of a new storage centre for the Paris area museums. It is reported that the prolonged period of uncertainty, and the lack of consultation and information about the Centre’s future is raising concerns about the potential loss of skills and facilities that have taken decades to build up.

C2RMF is the largest of the three French centres dedicated to the study and conservation/restoration of the national cultural heritage. The other centres, Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (LRMH) and Centre de recherche sur la conservation des collections (CRCC) specialise in historical monuments and paper, books and new media supports respectively.

C2RMF provides services for 1300 French museums – large and small. It enjoys an international reputation within the profession and has established working relationships with museums, cultural heritage institutions, universities, research centres, restoration workshops in France and across Europe. It also works closely with Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS). C2RMF staff are professionals dedicated to the study and conservation of cultural heritage.

A petition to the French Government has been set up. Further information about C2RMF is available on their website. For comments on the current situation and to access the petition, go to the laboratoire du louvre blogspot.