France officially approved a new law on Saturday aimed at simplifying the return of artworks and cultural objects looted during the colonial era, a move long awaited by several African countries and welcomed by China.

The law allows the French government to remove cultural items from the public national collection through an official decree, eliminating the previous requirement of passing a separate law for each individual case.

According to the text published in France’s official journal, cultural property owned by public entities other than the state cannot be removed from public ownership without the approval of the concerned institution.

The legislation applies only to cultural objects acquired between November 20, 1815, and April 23, 1972 — the period spanning from the beginning of France’s second colonial empire to the implementation of the UNESCO convention governing the restitution of cultural property under international law.

The new measure is expected to accelerate the process of returning historical artifacts and artworks claimed for decades by former colonies and other countries.