### member states may impose reasonable ‘ must carry’ obligations , for the transmission of specified radio and television broadcast channels and related complementary services , particularly accessibility services to enable appropriate access for disabled end - users and data supporting connected tv services and electronic programme guides , on undertakings under their jurisdiction providing electronic communications networks used for the distribution of radio or television broadcast channels to the public where a significant number of end - users of such networks use them as their principal means to receive radio and television broadcast channels . such obligations shall only be imposed where they are necessary to meet general interest objectives as clearly defined by each member state and shall be proportionate and transparent . ### member states may impose reasonable ' must carry ' obligations , for the transmission of specified radio and television broadcast channels and the related complementary accessibility services that enable appropriate access for disabled end - users on undertakings under their jurisdiction providing electronic communications networks used for the distribution of radio or television broadcast channels to the public where a significant number of end - users of such networks use them as their principal means to receive radio and television broadcast channels . member states who impose ' must carry ' obligations may also impose reasonable ' must offer ' entitlements as regards specified radio and television broadcast channels of general interest on undertakings under their jurisdiction holding the relevant rights . ' must carry ' obligations referred to in the first subparagraph shall only be imposed where they are necessary to meet general interest objectives as clearly defined by each member state and shall be proportionate and transparent .


### member states may impose reasonable ‘ must carry’ obligations , for the transmission of specified radio and television broadcast channels and related complementary services , particularly accessibility services to enable appropriate access for disabled end - users and data supporting connected tv services and electronic programme guides , on undertakings under their jurisdiction providing electronic communications networks used for the distribution of radio or television broadcast channels to the public where a significant number of end - users of such networks use them as their principal means to receive radio and television broadcast channels . such obligations shall only be imposed where they are necessary to meet general interest objectives as clearly defined by each member state and shall be proportionate and transparent . ### member states may impose reasonable ' must carry ' obligations for the transmission of radio and television broadcast channels of general interest , which have a specifically high importance for the individual and public formation of opinions , and accessibility services to enable appropriate access for disabled consumers , on undertakings under their jurisdiction providing electronic communications networks used for the distribution of radio or television broadcast channels to the public where a significant number of end - users of such networks use them as their principal means to receive radio and television broadcast channels . such obligations shall only be imposed where they are necessary to meet general interest objectives as clearly defined by each member state and shall be proportionate and transparent .


### neither paragraph 1 of this article nor article 57 shall prejudice the ability of member states to determine appropriate remuneration , if any , in respect of measures taken in accordance with this article while ensuring that , in similar circumstances , there is no discrimination in the treatment of undertakings providing electronic communications networks . where remuneration is provided for , member states shall ensure that it is applied in a proportionate and transparent manner . ### neither paragraph 1 of this article nor article 57 shall prejudice the ability of member states to determine appropriate remuneration , if any , in respect of measures taken in accordance with this article while ensuring that , in similar circumstances , there is no discrimination in the treatment of undertakings providing electronic communications networks and services . if remuneration is provided for , which member states shall regulate in national law , such remuneration is applied in a proportionate and transparent manner .


### each member state shall give the staff of its authorities which have a right to access the ecris - tcn system appropriate training , in particular on data security and data protection rules and on relevant fundamental rights , before authorising them to process data stored in the central system . ### each member state shall give the staff of its authorities which have a right to access the ecris - tcn system appropriate training on the use of ecris - tcn system , in particular on data security and data protection rules and on relevant fundamental rights , before authorising them to process data stored in the central system .


### by [ six months after the entry into force of this regulation ] and every six months thereafter during the development phase , eu - lisa shall submit a report to the european parliament and the council on the state of play of the development of the ecris - tcn system . once the development is finalised , a report shall be submitted to the european parliament and the council explaining how the objectives , in particular relating to planning and costs , were achieved , as well as justifying any divergences . ### by [ six months after the entry into force of this regulation ] and every six months thereafter during the development phase , eu - lisa shall submit a report to the european parliament and the council on the state of play of the development of the ecris - tcn system . that report shall include an overview of the current development of costs and progress of the project , a financial impact assessment , and information on any technical problems and risks that may impact the overall costs of the system to be borne by the general budget of the union in accordance with article 31 .


### two years after the start of operations of the ecris - tcn system and every year thereafter , eu - lisa shall submit to the commission a report on the technical functioning of the ecris - tcn system and the ecris reference implementation , including the security thereof , based in particular on the statistics on the functioning and use of ecris - tcn system and on the exchange , through the ecris reference implementation , of information extracted from the criminal records . ### two years after the start of operations of the ecris - tcn system and every second year thereafter , eu - lisa shall submit to the commission a report on the technical functioning of the ecris - tcn system and the ecris reference implementation , including the security thereof , based in particular on the statistics on the functioning and use of ecris - tcn system and on the exchange , through the ecris reference implementation , of information extracted from the criminal records


### the authority shall have its seat in paris , france . ### “the authority shall have its seat in paris , france . the authority shall seek close cooperation with other agencies of the union , especially those that are based in its immediate proximity , in order to achieve efficiency gains . ”


### in order not to impede trade with goods across the external border disproportionately , this regulation should only apply to goods meeting a certain age limit . for that purpose , it seems appropriate to set a 250 year minimum age threshold for all categories of cultural goods . that minimum age threshold will ensure that the measures provided for in this regulation focus on cultural goods most likely to be targeted by looters in conflict areas , without excluding other goods the control of which is necessary for ensuring protection of cultural heritage . ### in order not to impede trade with goods across the external border disproportionately , this regulation should only apply to goods meeting a certain age and value limit . for that purpose , it seems appropriate to set a 250 year minimum age threshold for all categories of cultural goods and a financial threshold for certain categories of cultural goods as stated in the annex . certain categories of cultural goods should not be subject to a financial threshold since they require a reinforced protection due to their higher risk of pillage , loss or destruction . the minimum age threshold will ensure that the measures provided for in this regulation focus on cultural goods most likely to be targeted by looters in conflict areas , without excluding other goods the control of which is necessary for ensuring protection of cultural heritage . the minimum financial threshold for certain categories of cultural goods is the value established for most of the categories contained in the annex of the regulation no 116 / 2009 on the export of cultural goods , which is in line with the objective of the proposal and will minimise the burden on the art market operators .


### since certain categories of cultural goods , namely archaeological objects , elements of monuments , rare manuscripts and incunabula are particularly vulnerable to pillage and destruction , it seems necessary to provide for a system of increased scrutiny before they may enter the customs territory of the union . such a system should require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the member state of entry prior to the release for free circulation of those goods or their placement under a special customs procedure other than transit . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove licit export from the source country with the appropriate supportive documents and evidence , in particular , export certificates or licences issued by the third country of export , ownership titles , invoices , sales contracts , insurance documents , transport documents and experts appraisals . based on complete and accurate applications , the competent authorities of the member states should decide whether to issue a licence without undue delay . ### since certain categories of cultural goods , namely archaeological objects , elements of monuments , rare manuscripts and incunabula are particularly vulnerable to pillage and destruction , it seems necessary to provide for a system of increased scrutiny before they may enter the customs territory of the union . such a system should require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the first member state of entry prior to the release for free circulation of those goods or their placement under a special customs procedure other than transit . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove that the cultural goods have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations or to prove the absence of such laws and regulations . the licit export from the source country should be proved with the appropriate supportive documents and evidence , in particular , export certificates or export licences , ownership titles , invoices , sales contracts , insurance documents , transport documents and experts appraisals . based on complete and accurate applications , the competent authorities of the member states should decide whether to issue a licence without undue delay . in cases where the source country of the cultural goods cannot be reliably determined , the application should be accompanied by any supporting documents and information , providing evidence that the cultural goods were exported from the export country in accordance with its laws and regulations .


### since certain categories of cultural goods , namely archaeological objects , elements of monuments , rare manuscripts and incunabula are particularly vulnerable to pillage and destruction , it seems necessary to provide for a system of increased scrutiny before they may enter the customs territory of the union . such a system should require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the member state of entry prior to the release for free circulation of those goods or their placement under a special customs procedure other than transit . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove licit export from the source country with the appropriate supportive documents and evidence , in particular , export certificates or licences issued by the third country of export , ownership titles , invoices , sales contracts , insurance documents , transport documents and experts appraisals . based on complete and accurate applications , the competent authorities of the member states should decide whether to issue a licence without undue delay . ### since certain categories of cultural goods are particularly vulnerable to pillage and destruction , it seems necessary to provide for a system of increased scrutiny before they may enter the customs territory of the union . such a system should require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the member state of entry prior to the release for free circulation of those goods or their placement under a special customs procedure other than transit when the goods come from countries designated by a united nations security council resolution laying down restrictive measures applied to cultural goods , or by a similar measure adopted by the union in accordance with the procedures set out in article 215 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove licit export from the source country with the appropriate supportive documents and evidence , in particular , export licences issued by the third country of export , ownership titles , invoices , sales contracts , insurance documents , transport documents and experts appraisals . based on complete and accurate applications , the competent authorities of the member states should decide whether to issue a licence without undue delay .


### for other categories of cultural goods , the persons seeking to introduce them into the customs territory of the union should , by means of a statement , certify and assume responsibility for their lawful export from the third country and should provide sufficient information for those goods to be identified by customs . in order to facilitate the procedure and for reasons of legal certainty , the information about the cultural good should be provided using a standardised document . the object id standard , recommended by unesco , should be used to describe the cultural goods . customs should register the entry of those cultural goods , keep the originals and give a copy of the relevant documents to the declarant , in order to ensure traceability after the goods enter the internal market . ### for other categories of cultural goods , the persons seeking to introduce them into the customs territory of the union should , by means of an electronic statement , certify and assume responsibility for their lawful export from the third country and should provide sufficient information for those goods to be identified by customs . in order to facilitate the procedure and for reasons of legal certainty , the information about the cultural good should be provided using an electronic standardised document . the object id standard , recommended by unesco , should be used to describe the cultural goods . those cultural goods should be electronically registered and the declarant should be provided with a copy of the relevant submitted documents in order to ensure traceability after the goods enter the internal market .


### for other categories of cultural goods , the persons seeking to introduce them into the customs territory of the union should , by means of a statement , certify and assume responsibility for their lawful export from the third country and should provide sufficient information for those goods to be identified by customs . in order to facilitate the procedure and for reasons of legal certainty , the information about the cultural good should be provided using a standardised document . the object id standard , recommended by unesco , should be used to describe the cultural goods . customs should register the entry of those cultural goods , keep the originals and give a copy of the relevant documents to the declarant , in order to ensure traceability after the goods enter the internal market . ### for other categories of cultural goods , the persons seeking to introduce them into the customs territory of the union should , by means of an electronic statement , certify and assume responsibility for their lawful export from the export country and should provide sufficient information for those goods to be identified by customs . in order to facilitate the procedure and for reasons of legal certainty , the information about the cultural good should be provided using an electronic standardised document . the object id standard , recommended by unesco , should be used to describe the cultural goods . those cultural goods should be electronically registered and the declarant should be provided with a copy of the submitted documents in order to ensure traceability after the goods enter the internal market .


### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to adopt specific modalities for the temporary admission and storage of cultural goods into the customs territory of the union , the templates for import licence applications and forms , as well as for importer statements and their accompanying documents , as well as further procedural rules on their submission and processing . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to make arrangements for the establishment of an electronic database for the storage and exchange of information between member states . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council28 . __________________ 28 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission’s exercise of implementing powers . ### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to adopt specific modalities for the temporary admission and storage of cultural goods into the customs territory of the union , which should be done while guaranteeing adequate conservation conditions , having due regard to the specific nature of the goods . those modalities should also apply to the electronic standardised templates for import licence applications and forms , as well as for electronic importer statements and their accompanying documents , as well as to further procedural rules on their electronic submission and processing . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to make arrangements for the establishment of an electronic database for the storage and exchange of information between member states . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council28 . __________________ 28 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission’s exercise of implementing powers .


### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to adopt specific modalities for the temporary admission and storage of cultural goods into the customs territory of the union , the templates for import licence applications and forms , as well as for importer statements and their accompanying documents , as well as further procedural rules on their submission and processing . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to make arrangements for the establishment of an electronic database for the storage and exchange of information between member states . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council28 . __________________ 28 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission’s exercise of implementing powers . ### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to adopt specific modalities for the temporary admission and storage of cultural goods into the customs territory of the union , which should be done while guaranteeing minimum conservation conditions , having due regard to the specific nature of the goods . those modalities should also apply to the electronic standardised templates for import licence applications and forms , as well as for electronic importer statements and their accompanying documents , as well as to further procedural rules on their electronic submission and processing . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to make arrangements for the establishment of an electronic database for the storage and exchange of information between member states . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council28 . __________________ 28 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission’s exercise of implementing powers .


### relevant information on trade flows of cultural goods should be collected to support the efficient implementation of the regulation and to provide the basis for its future evaluation . trade flows of cultural goods cannot be efficiently monitored only by their value or weight since these two measurements can fluctuate . it is essential to collect information on the number of items declared . as no supplementary measurement unit is specified in the combined nomenclature for cultural goods , it is necessary to require that the number of items is declared . ### relevant information on trade flows of cultural goods should be collected to support the efficient implementation of the regulation and to provide the basis for its future evaluation . trade flows of cultural goods cannot be efficiently monitored only by their value or weight since these two measurements can fluctuate . it is essential to electronically collect information on the number of items declared . as no supplementary measurement unit is specified in the combined nomenclature for cultural goods , it is necessary to require that the number of items is declared .


### the eu strategy and action plan for customs risk management29 aims –inter alia - to strengthen capacities of customs authorities to increase the responsiveness to risks in the area of cultural goods . the common risk management framework laid down in regulation no 952 / 2013 should be used and relevant risk information be exchanged between customs authorities . __________________ 29 com / 2014 / 0527 final : communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council and the european economic and social committee on the eu strategy and action plan for customs risk management . ### the eu strategy and action plan for customs risk management29 aims –inter alia - to strengthen capacities and training of customs authorities to increase the responsiveness to risks in the area of cultural goods . the common risk management framework laid down in regulation no 952 / 2013 should be used and relevant risk information be exchanged between customs authorities . __________________ 29 com / 2014 / 0527 final : communication from the commission to the european parliament , the council and the european economic and social committee on the eu strategy and action plan for customs risk management .


### sufficient time should be provided for the commission to adopt rules implementing this regulation , in particular those regarding the appropriate forms to use to apply for an import licence or to prepare an importer statement . consequently , the application of this regulation should be deferred . ### sufficient time should be provided for the commission to adopt rules implementing this regulation , in particular those regarding the appropriate electronic standardised forms to use to apply for an import licence or to prepare an importer statement . consequently , the application of this regulation should be deferred .


### the holder of the goods shall apply for an import licence to the competent authority of the member state of entry . the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods in question have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations . however , where the export country is a contracting party to the unesco convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import , export and transfer of ownership of cultural property signed in paris on 14 november 1970 , the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods have been exported from that country in accordance with its laws and regulations . ### the holder of the goods shall apply for an import licence to the competent authority of the first member state of entry . the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information that prove that the cultural goods in question have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations or that prove the absence of such laws and regulations . in cases where the source country of the cultural goods cannot be reliably determined , the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information , providing evidence that the cultural goods were exported from the export country in accordance with its laws and regulations .


### the holder of the goods shall apply for an import licence to the competent authority of the member state of entry . the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods in question have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations . however , where the export country is a contracting party to the unesco convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import , export and transfer of ownership of cultural property signed in paris on 14 november 1970 , the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods have been exported from that country in accordance with its laws and regulations . ### the holder of the goods shall apply for an import licence to the competent authority of the member state of entry . the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods in question have been exported from the export country in accordance with its laws and regulations .


### the competent authority of the member state of entry shall verify whether the application is complete . it shall request any missing information or document from the applicant within 30 days of receipt of the application . ### the competent authority of the first importing member state shall verify whether the application is complete . it shall request any missing information or document from the applicant within 30 days of receipt of the application . the competent authority of the first importing member state shall verify whether paragraph 2c applies .


### the competent authority shall , within 90 days of the submission of the complete application , examine the application and decide to issue the import licence or reject the application . it may reject the application on the following grounds : ### the competent authority shall , within 90 days of the submission of the complete application , examine the application and decide to issue the import licence or reject the application . it must reject the application on the following grounds :


### the commission may establish , by means of implementing acts , the template for the application for the import licence as well as the procedural rules on the submission and processing of such an application . those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in article 13 . ### the commission shall establish , by means of implementing acts , the electronic standardised template for the application for the import licence as well as the procedural rules on the electronic submission and processing of such an application together with the relevant supporting documents , which shall be done by electronic means . those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in article 13 .


### the release for free circulation and the placing under a special procedure other than transit in the union of the cultural goods referred to in points , , , , , , , and of the annex shall be subject to the submission of an importer statement to the customs authorities of the member state of entry . ### the release for free circulation and the placing under a special procedure other than transit in the union of the cultural goods referred to in points , , , , , , and of the annex shall be subject to the submission of an importer statement to the customs authorities of the member state of entry . for cultural goods referred to in points , , , , this is only the case for a value of eur 50 000 upwards .


### the importer statement shall contain a declaration signed by the holder of the goods that the goods have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations . however , where the export country is a contracting party to the unesco convention on cultural property , the importer statement shall contain a declaration signed by the holder of the goods that the goods have been exported from that country in accordance with its laws and regulations . ### this should consist of the following : - standardised document describing the cultural goods in question in sufficient detail for them to be identified by the customs authorities ; - any additional documents and information substantiating that the cultural good in question was exported legally from the country of origin and in accordance with that country’s laws and regulations . if no official documents can be submitted for legal reasons , the importer shall submit a statement signed by the holder of the goods that the goods have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations .


### the import licence referred to in article 4 or the importer statement referred to in article 5 , as the case may be , shall be submitted to the customs office competent to release the cultural goods for free circulation or for placing them under a special procedure other than transit . ### the import licence referred to in article 4 or the importer statement referred to in article 5 , as the case may be , shall be electronically submitted to the customs office competent to release the cultural goods for free circulation or for placing them under a special procedure other than transit .


### with regard to cultural goods requiring the issue of an import licence to enter the customs territory of the union , the customs authorities shall check whether the import licence corresponds to the goods presented . for that purpose , they may physically examine the cultural goods , including by conducting an expertise . ### with regard to cultural goods requiring the issue of an import licence to enter the customs territory of the union , the customs authorities shall check whether the import licence corresponds to the goods presented . for that purpose , they may physically examine the cultural goods by conducting an expertise . the import license electronically registered shall be attributed a serial number and a registration date and , upon release of the goods , the declarant will be provided with a copy of the registered import license .


### with regard to cultural goods requiring the submission of an importer statement to enter the customs territory of the union , the customs authorities shall check whether the importer statement complies with the requirements provided for in or on the basis of article 5 and corresponds to the goods presented . for that purpose , they may require additional information from the declarant and physically examine the cultural goods , including by conducting an expertise . they shall register the importer statement by attributing to it a serial number and a registration date and , upon release of the goods , provide the declarant with a copy of the registered importer statement . ### with regard to cultural goods requiring the submission of an importer statement to enter the customs territory of the union , the customs authorities shall check whether the importer statement complies with the requirements provided for in or on the basis of article 5 and corresponds to the goods presented . for that purpose , they may require additional information from the declarant and physically examine the cultural goods by conducting an expertise . the importer statement registered electronically shall be attributed a serial number and a registration date and , upon release of the goods , the declarant will be provided with a copy of the registered importer statement .


### where member states restrict the number of customs offices competent to release cultural goods for free circulation or to place them under a special procedure other than transit , they shall communicate the details of those customs offices as well as any changes in that respect to the commission . ### where member states restrict the number of customs offices competent to release cultural goods for free circulation or to place them under a special procedure other than transit , they shall communicate the details of those customs offices as well as any changes in that respect to the commission . even though the number of customs offices is restricted , member states shall ensure that the holders of the goods or the importers have sufficient access to these offices .


### where member states restrict the number of customs offices competent to release cultural goods for free circulation or to place them under a special procedure other than transit , they shall communicate the details of those customs offices as well as any changes in that respect to the commission . ### where member states restrict the number of customs offices competent to import cultural goods , they shall communicate the details of those customs offices as well as any changes in that respect to the commission .


### the commission may lay down , by means of implementing acts , ### the commission shall lay down , by means of implementing acts ,


### member states shall organise training and capacity building activities to ensure the effective implementation of this regulation by the authorities concerned . they may also use awareness - raising campaigns to sensitise in particular buyers of cultural goods . ### member states shall organise training and capacity building activities to ensure the effective implementation of this regulation by the authorities and the professionals concerned . they shall also use awareness - raising campaigns to sensitise in particular buyers of cultural goods . moreover , in order to assist the market actors to implement this regulation , information contact points should be made available in each member state .


### number of cases in which cultural goods have been retained and ### number of cases in which cultural goods have been retained ;


### number of cases where cultural goods have been abandoned to the state in accordance with article 199 of regulation no 952 / 2013 . ### number of cases where cultural goods have been abandoned to the state in accordance with article 199 of regulation no 952 / 2013 and


### in order to promote the self - sufficiency of applicants and to limit wide discrepancies between member states , it is essential to provide clear rules on the applicants’ access to the labour market ð and to ensure that such access is effective , by not imposing conditions that effectively hinder an applicant from seeking employment . labour market tests used to give priority to nationals or to other union citizens or to third country nationals legally resident in the member state concerned should not hinder effective access for applicants to the labour market and should be implemented without prejudice to the principle of preference for union citizens as expressed in the relevant provisions of the applicable acts of accession . ### in order to promote the self - sufficiency of applicants and to limit wide discrepancies between member states , it is essential to provide clear rules on the applicants’ access to the labour market and to ensure that such access is effective , by not imposing conditions that effectively hinder an applicant from seeking employment , save for the possibility of the member state concerned giving priority to nationals or to other union citizens .


### in order to promote the self - sufficiency of applicants and to limit wide discrepancies between member states , it is essential to provide clear rules on the applicants’ access to the labour market and to ensure that such access is effective , by not imposing conditions that effectively hinder an applicant from seeking employment . labour market tests used to give priority to nationals or to other union citizens or to third - country nationals legally resident in the member state concerned should not hinder effective access for applicants to the labour market and should be implemented without prejudice to the principle of preference for union citizens as expressed in the relevant provisions of the applicable acts of accession . ### in order to promote the self - sufficiency of applicants and to limit wide discrepancies between member states , it is essential to provide clear rules on the applicants’ access to the labour market and to ensure that such access is effective , by not imposing disproportional conditions that effectively hinder an applicant from seeking employment . labour market tests used to give priority to nationals or to other union citizens or to third - country nationals legally resident in the member state concerned should not constitute disproportionate barriers to effective access for applicants to the labour market and should be implemented without prejudice to the principle of preference for union citizens as expressed in the relevant provisions of the applicable acts of accession .


### member states shall where necessary decide on the residence of an applicant in a specific place for any of the following reasons : ### member states may where necessary decide on the residence of an applicant in a specific place for justified reasons such as :


### member states shall state reasons in fact and , where relevant , in law in any decision taken in accordance with this article . applicants shall be immediately informed in writing , in a language which they understand or are reasonably supposed to understand , of the adoption of such a decision , of the procedures for challenging the decision in accordance with article 25 and of the consequences of non - compliance with the obligations imposed by the decision . ### member states shall state reasons in fact and , where relevant , in law in any decision taken in accordance with paragraph 2 . applicants shall be immediately informed in writing , in a language which they understand or are reasonably supposed to understand , of the adoption of such a decision , of the procedures for challenging the decision in accordance with article 25 and of the consequences of non - compliance with the obligations imposed by the decision .


### member states shall grant to minor children of applicants and to applicants who are minors access to the education system under similar conditions as their own nationals for so long as an expulsion measure against them or their parents is not actually enforced . such education may be provided in accommodation centres . ### member states shall grant to minor children of applicants and to applicants who are minors access to the education system under the same conditions as their own nationals for the entire duration of their presence in the territory of the member state . such education may be provided in accommodation centres , as a temporary measure until access to national education systems is ensured .


### member states shall ensure that applicants have access to the labour market no later than 6 months from the date when the application for international protection was lodged if an administrative decision by the competent authority has not been taken and the delay cannot be attributed to the applicant . ### member states shall ensure that applicants have effective access to the labour market no later than 6 months , in accordance with the time - limit for decision at the first appeal stage as set in regulation no xxx / xxx [ procedures regulation ] , from the date when the application for international protection was lodged if an administrative decision by the competent authority has not been taken and the delay cannot be attributed to the applicant .


### working conditions , including pay and dismissal , leave and holidays , as well as health and safety requirements at the workplace ; ### working conditions , including pay and dismissal , working hours , leave and holidays , as well as health and safety requirements at the workplace ;


### member states may require applicants to cover or contribute to the cost of the material reception conditions provided for in paragraph 3 , if the applicants have sufficient resources , for example if they have been working for a reasonable period of time . ### member states may require applicants to cover or contribute to the cost of the material reception conditions provided for in paragraph 3 , if the applicants have sufficient resources , for example if they have been working for a reasonable period of time . should the applicants not have sufficient resources , the competent national authorities , in agreement with local authorities , may facilitate the employment of applicants for international protection , on a voluntary basis , in socially - beneficial activities geared to the specific requirements of the host territorial communities .


### member states may require applicants to cover or contribute to the cost of the material reception conditions provided for in paragraph 3 , if the applicants have sufficient resources , for example if they have been working for a reasonable period of time . ### member states may require applicants to cover or contribute to the cost of the material reception conditions and of the health care provided for in paragraph 3 , if the applicants have sufficient resources , for example if they have been working for a reasonable period of time .


### if it transpires that an applicant had sufficient means to cover material reception conditions at the time when those basic needs were being covered , member states may ask the applicant for a refund . ### if it transpires that an applicant had sufficient means to cover material reception conditions and health care at the time when those basic needs were being covered , member states may ask the applicant for a refund .


### decisions for replacement , reduction or withdrawal of material reception conditions shall be taken objectively and impartially on the merits of the individual case and reasons shall be given . decisions shall be based on the particular situation of the person concerned , especially with regard to applicants with special reception needs , taking into account the principle of proportionality . member states shall under all circumstances ensure access to health care in accordance with article 18 and shall ensure a dignified standard of living for all applicants . ### decisions for reduction or withdrawal of material reception conditions shall be taken objectively and impartially on the merits of the individual case and reasons shall be given . decisions shall be based on the particular situation of the person concerned , especially with regard to applicants with special reception needs , taking into account the principle of proportionality . member states shall under all circumstances ensure access to health care in accordance with article 18 and shall ensure a dignified standard of living for all applicants .


### in order to effectively implement article 20 , member states shall systematically assess whether the applicant is an applicant with special reception needs . member states shall also indicate the nature of such needs . ### in order to effectively implement article 20 , member states shall systematically assess , once an application for international protection is made , whether the applicant is an applicant with special reception needs . member states shall also indicate the nature of such needs .


### that assessment shall be initiated as early as possible after an application for international protection is made and may be integrated into existing national procedures or into the assessment referred to in article [ 19 ] of regulation no xxx / xxx [ procedures regulation ] . member states shall ensure that those special reception needs are also addressed , in accordance with this directive , if they become apparent at a later stage in the asylum procedure . ### that assessment shall be initiated as soon as possible by a competent authority after an application for international protection is made and may be integrated into existing national procedures or into the assessment referred to in article [ 19 ] of regulation no xxx / xxx [ procedures regulation ] . member states shall ensure that those special reception needs are also addressed , in accordance with this directive , if they become apparent at a later stage in the asylum procedure .


### the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration for member states when implementing the provisions of this directive that involve minors . member states shall ensure a standard of living adequate for the minor ' s physical , mental , spiritual , moral and social development . ### the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration for member states when implementing the provisions of this directive that may affect minors . member states shall ensure a standard of living adequate for the minor ' s physical , mental , spiritual , moral and social development .


### member states shall as soon as possible and no later than five working days from the moment when an unaccompanied minor makes an application for international protection take measures to ensure that a guardian represents and assists the unaccompanied minor to enable him or her to benefit from the rights and comply with the obligations provided for in this directive . the guardian appointed in accordance with article [ 22 ] of regulation no xxx / xxx [ procedures regulation ] may perform those tasks . the unaccompanied minor shall be informed immediately of the appointment of the guardian . where an organisation is appointed as guardian , it shall designate a person responsible for carrying out the duties of guardian in respect of the unaccompanied minor , in accordance with this directive . the guardian shall perform his or her duties in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the child , as prescribed in article 22 , shall have the necessary expertise to that end and shall not have a verified record of child - related crimes or offences . in order to ensure the minor’s well - being and social development referred to in article 22 , the person acting as guardian shall be changed only when necessary . organisations or individuals whose interests conflict or could potentially conflict with those of the unaccompanied minor shall not be appointed as guardians . ### member states shall as soon as possible and no later than five days from the moment when an unaccompanied minor arrives in the member state take measures to ensure that a guardian represents and assists the unaccompanied minor to enable him or her to benefit from the rights and comply with the obligations provided for in this directive . the guardian appointed in accordance with article [ 22 ] of regulation no xxx / xxx [ procedures regulation ] may perform those tasks . the unaccompanied minor shall be informed immediately of the appointment of the guardian . where an organisation is appointed as guardian , it shall designate a person responsible for carrying out the duties of guardian in respect of the unaccompanied minor , in accordance with this directive . the guardian shall be qualified and perform his or her duties in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the child , as prescribed in article 22 , shall have the necessary expertise to that end and shall not have a verified criminal record , especially with regard to any child - related crimes or offences . in order to ensure the minor’s well - being and social development referred to in article 22 , the person acting as guardian shall be changed only when necessary . appointed guardians ' criminal record shall be regularly reviewed by competent authorities to identify potential incompatibilities with their role . organisations or individuals whose interests conflict or could potentially conflict with those of the unaccompanied minor shall not be appointed as guardians .


### member states shall ensure that a guardian is not placed in charge of a disproportionate number of unaccompanied minors at the same time that would render him or her unable to perform his or her tasks effectively . member states shall appoint entities or persons responsible for monitoring at regular intervals that guardians perform their tasks in a satisfactory manner . those entities or persons shall also have the competence to review complaints lodged by unaccompanied minors against their guardian . ### member states shall ensure that a guardian is placed in charge of an acceptable and limited number of unaccompanied minors at the same time that would render him or her unable to perform his or her tasks effectively . member states shall appoint entities or persons responsible for monitoring , within the first month of the guardian being appointed , and then at regular intervals that guardians perform their tasks in a satisfactory manner . those entities or persons shall also have the competence to review complaints lodged by unaccompanied minors against their guardian .


### protection should , firstly , apply to persons having the status of ' workers ' , within the meaning of article 45 tfeu , as interpreted by the court of justice of the european union52 , i . e . persons who , for a certain period of time , perform services for and under the direction of another person , in return of which they receive remuneration . protection should thus also be granted to workers in non - standard employment relationships , including part - time workers and fixed - term contract workers , as well as persons with a contract of employment or employment relationship with a temporary agency , which are types of relationships where standard protections against unfair treatment are often difficult to apply . __________________ 52 judgments of 3 july 1986 , lawrie - blum , case 66 / 85 ; 14 october 2010 , union syndicale solidaires isère , case c - 428 / 09 ; 9 july 2015 , balkaya , case c - 229 / 14 ; 4 december 2014 , fnv kunsten , case c - 413 / 13 ; and 17 november 2016 , ruhrlandklinik , case c - 216 / 15 . ### protection should , firstly , apply to persons having the status of ' workers ' , within the meaning of article 45 tfeu , as interpreted by the court of justice of the european union52 , i . e . persons who , for a certain period of time , perform services for and under the direction of another person , in return of which they receive remuneration . in accordance with the court ' s case law , the notion of worker should be interpreted broadly , including , for example civil servants . protection should thus also be granted to workers in non - standard employment relationships , including part - time workers and fixed - term contract workers , as well as persons with a contract of employment or employment relationship with a temporary agency , which are types of relationships where standard protections against unfair treatment are often difficult to apply . __________________ 52 judgments of 3 july 1986 , lawrie - blum , case 66 / 85 ; 14 october 2010 , union syndicale solidaires isère , case c - 428 / 09 ; 9 july 2015 , balkaya , case c - 229 / 14 ; 4 december 2014 , fnv kunsten , case c - 413 / 13 ; and 17 november 2016 , ruhrlandklinik , case c - 216 / 15 .


### whistleblowers are , in particular , important sources for investigative journalists . providing effective protection to whistleblowers from retaliation increases the legal certainty of whistleblowers and thereby encourages and facilitates whistleblowing also to the media . in this respect , protection of whistleblowers as journalistic sources is crucial for safeguarding the ‘ watchdog’ role of investigative journalism in democratic societies . ### whistleblowers are , in particular , important sources for investigative journalists . providing effective protection to whistleblowers from retaliation increases the legal certainty of whistleblowers and thereby encourages and facilitates whistleblowing also to the media . in this respect , protection of whistleblowers as journalistic sources is crucial for safeguarding the ‘ watchdog’ role of investigative journalism in democratic societies . in view of the variety of situations , this directive does not establish an order of priority between the different channels of reporting and disclosure . it is for the reporting person to determine the most appropriate channel , taking into account the rights and legitimate interests of concerned persons . due to their importance for the freedom of expression and the right to receive information , public disclosures , including through the media , should be encouraged .


### with a view to enhancing the enforcement of union law and policies in specific areas , this directive lays down common minimum standards for the protection of persons reporting on the following unlawful activities or abuse of law : ### with a view to enhancing the enforcement of union law and policies , this directive lays down common minimum standards for the protection of persons reporting on unlawful activities or abuse of law :


### ' breaches ' means actual or potential unlawful activities or abuse of law relating to the union acts and areas falling within the scope referred to in article 1 and in the annex ; ### ' breaches ' means actual or potential unlawful activities or abuse of union law ;


### the european union is built on solidarity , among its citizens and among its member states . this common value guides its actions and provides the necessary unity to cope with current and future societal challenges , which young europeans are willing to help address by expressing their solidarity in practice . ### the european union is built on solidarity , among its citizens and among its member states . this common value guides its actions and provides the necessary unity to cope with current and future societal challenges , which young europeans are willing to help address by expressing their solidarity in practice . the principle of solidarity is enshrined in article 2 teu and the preamble to the charter of fundamental rights of the european union .


### the european solidarity corps would provide a single entry point for solidarity activities throughout the union . consistency and complementarity of that framework should be ensured with other relevant union policies and programmes . the european solidarity corps should build on the strengths and synergies of existing programmes , notably the european voluntary service . it should also complement the efforts made by member states to support young people and ease their school - to - work transition under the youth guarantee19 by providing them with additional opportunities to make a start on the labour market in the form of traineeships or jobs in solidarity - related areas within their respective member state or across borders . complementarity with existing union level networks pertinent to the activities under the european solidarity corps , such as the european network of public employment services , eures and the eurodesk network , should also be ensured . furthermore , complementarity between existing related schemes , in particular national solidarity schemes and mobility schemes for young people , and the european solidarity corps should be ensured , building on good practices where appropriate . __________________ 19 council recommendation of 22 april 2013 on establishing a youth guarantee . ### consistency and complementarity of that framework should be ensured with other relevant union policies and programmes . the european voluntary and solidarity service should build on the strengths and synergies of existing programmes , notably the european voluntary service . complementarity between existing related schemes , in particular national solidarity schemes and mobility schemes for young people , and the european voluntary and solidarity service should be ensured , building on good practices where appropriate . __________________ 19 council recommendation of 22 april 2013 on establishing a youth guarantee .


### voluntary activities constitute a rich experience in a non - formal and informal learning context which enhances young people ' s personal , socio - educational and professional development , active citizenship and employability . voluntary activities should not have an adverse effect on potential or existing paid employment , nor should they be seen as a substitute for it . in order to ensure continuity with respect to the volunteering activities that are supported at union level , the volunteering activities under the european voluntary service that fall within the geographical scope of the european solidarity corps should be supported by the latter in the form of cross - border volunteering placements . the other volunteering activities under the european voluntary service that do not fall under the geographical scope of the european solidarity corps should continue to be supported under the programme established by regulation no 1288 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council establishing ' erasmus + ' : the union programme for education , training , youth and sport20 . with respect to the interpretation of related legislation at union level , both the cross - border volunteering placements under the european solidarity corps and the volunteering activities that continue to be supported under regulation no 1288 / 2013 should be considered equivalent to those carried out under the european voluntary service . __________________ 20 regulation no 1288 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council of 11 december 2013 establishing ' erasmus + ' : the union programme for education , training , youth and sport and repealing decisions no 1719 / 2006 / ec , no 1720 / 2006 / ec and no 1298 / 2008 / ec , oj l 347 , 20 . 12 . 2013 , p . 50 . ### voluntary activities constitute a rich experience in a non - formal and informal learning context which enhances young people ' s personal , socio - educational and professional development , active citizenship and employability . voluntary activities should not have an adverse effect on potential or existing paid employment , nor should they ever be seen as a substitute for it . for this reason , volunteering activities should be limited to participating public bodies and organisations in the not - for - profit sector . for - profit organisations should have an opportunity to take part through partnerships with these organisations , however there should be a quality framework and strict guidelines in place to ensure there is no prospect of for - profit businesses gaining financially through branding or other commercial or publicity opportunities that may arise in the course of such a volunteering partnership . in order to ensure continuity with respect to the volunteering activities that are supported at union level , the volunteering activities under the european voluntary service that fall within the geographical scope of the european solidarity corps should be supported by the latter in the form of cross - border volunteering placements . the other volunteering activities under the european voluntary service that do not fall under the geographical scope of the european solidarity corps should continue to be supported under the programme established by regulation no 1288 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council establishing ' erasmus + ' : the union programme for education , training , youth and sport20 . with respect to the interpretation of related legislation at union level , both the cross - border volunteering placements under the european solidarity corps and the volunteering activities that continue to be supported under regulation no 1288 / 2013 should be considered equivalent to those carried out under the european voluntary service . __________________ 20 regulation no 1288 / 2013 of the european parliament and of the council of 11 december 2013 establishing ' erasmus + ' : the union programme for education , training , youth and sport and repealing decisions no 1719 / 2006 / ec , no 1720 / 2006 / ec and no 1298 / 2008 / ec , oj l 347 , 20 . 12 . 2013 , p . 50 .


### particular attention should be paid to ensuring the quality of the placements and other opportunities offered under the european solidarity corps , in particular by offering training , language support , insurance , administrative and post - placement support to participants as well as the validation of the knowledge , skills and competences acquired through their european solidarity corps experience . ### particular attention should be paid to ensuring the quality of the placements and other opportunities offered under the european solidarity corps , in particular by offering training , language support , insurance , administrative , support to participants before , during and after placements , as well as the validation of the knowledge , skills and competences acquired through their european solidarity corps experience . this support should be organised in collaboration with youth organisations , educational institutions and other civil society organisations .


### a quality label should be put in place to ensure compliance of the participating organisations with the principles and requirements of the european solidarity corps charter , as regards their rights and responsibilities during all stages of the solidarity experience . obtaining a quality label should be a precondition for participation but should not automatically lead to funding under the european solidarity corps . ### a quality label and monitoring framework should be put in place as a priority to ensure compliance of the participating organisations with the principles and requirements of the european solidarity corps charter , as regards their rights and responsibilities during all stages of the solidarity experience . a list of excluded activities should be established , prohibiting actions that are potentially harmful to volunteers and society such as volunteering in residential institutions for children . obtaining a quality label should be a precondition for participation but should not automatically lead to funding under the european solidarity corps .


### a european solidarity corps portal should continuously be developed in order to ensure easy access to the european solidarity corps and to provide a one - stop shop for both interested individuals and organisations as regards , inter alia , registration , identification and matching of profiles and opportunities , networking and virtual exchanges , online training , language and post - placement support as well as other useful functionalities , which may arise in the future . ### a european solidarity corps portal should continuously be developed in order to ensure easy access to the european solidarity corps and to provide a one - stop shop for both interested individuals and organisations as regards , inter alia , registration , identification and matching of profiles and opportunities , networking and virtual exchanges , information on existing solidarity placements or projects and on participating organisations , relevant union and national contact points , online training , language and pre - and post - placement support , as well as other useful functionalities , which may arise in the future .


### a european solidarity corps portal should continuously be developed in order to ensure easy access to the european solidarity corps and to provide a one - stop shop for both interested individuals and organisations as regards , inter alia , registration , identification and matching of profiles and opportunities , networking and virtual exchanges , online training , language and post - placement support as well as other useful functionalities , which may arise in the future . ### a european solidarity corps portal in all eu official languages should continuously be developed in order to ensure easy access to the european solidarity corps and to provide a one - stop shop for both interested individuals and organisations as regards , inter alia , registration , identification and matching of profiles and opportunities , networking and virtual exchanges , information on existing solidarity placements or projects and on participating organisations , relevant union and national contact points , online training , language support and support before , during and after placements , as well as other useful functionalities , which may arise in the future .


### this regulation lays down a financial envelope for the period 2018 - 2020 which is to constitute the prime reference amount , within the meaning of point 17 of the interinstitutional agreement between the european parliament , the council and the commission on budgetary discipline , on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management23 , for the european parliament and the council during the annual budgetary procedure . the prime reference amount includes redeployments from the erasmus + programme and from the employment and social innovation programme for the financial years 2018 , 2019 and 2020 , and it is complemented by contributions from several union programmes under different headings , such as the european social fund , the union civil protection mechanism , the life programme and the european agricultural fund for rural development . __________________ 23 interinstitutional agreement of 2 december 2013 between the european parliament , the council and the commission on budgetary discipline , on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management , oj c 373 , 20 . 12 . 2013 , p . 1 . ### this regulation lays down a financial envelope for the period 2018 - 2020 which is to constitute the prime reference amount , within the meaning of point 17 of the interinstitutional agreement between the european parliament , the council and the commission on budgetary discipline , on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management23 , for the european parliament and the council during the annual budgetary procedure . the prime reference amount includes redeployments from the erasmus + programme , which should not under any circumstances undermine the funding of mobility projects already earmarked under the erasmus + programme , and from the employment and social innovation programme for the financial years 2018 , 2019 and 2020 , and it is complemented by contributions from several union programmes under different headings , such as the union civil protection mechanism and the life programme . __________________ 23 interinstitutional agreement of 2 december 2013 between the european parliament , the council and the commission on budgetary discipline , on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management , oj c 373 , 20 . 12 . 2013 , p . 1 .


### &#8220 ; solidarity activity&#8221 ; means an activity aimed at addressing unmet societal needs to the benefit of a community while also fostering the individual ' s personal , educational , social , civic and professional development , which may take the form of placements , projects or networking activities , developed in relation to different areas , such as education and training , employment , gender equality , entrepreneurship , in particular social entrepreneurship , citizenship and democratic participation , environment and nature protection , climate action , disaster prevention , preparedness and recovery , agriculture and rural development , provision of food and non - food items , health and wellbeing , creativity and culture , physical education and sport , social assistance and welfare , reception and integration of third - country nationals , territorial cooperation and cohesion ; ### &#8220 ; solidarity activity&#8221 ; means an activity aimed at addressing unmet societal needs to the benefit of a community while also fostering the individual ' s personal , educational , social , civic and professional development which , provided that it does not replace existing jobs or existing traineeship places or offers thereof , may take the form of placements , projects or networking activities , developed in relation to different areas , such as education and training , employment , gender equality , social entrepreneurship , citizenship and democratic participation , environment and nature protection , climate action , disaster prevention , preparedness and recovery , agriculture and rural development , provision of food and non - food items , health and wellbeing , creativity and culture , physical education and sport , social assistance and welfare , reception and integration of third - country nationals , territorial cooperation and cohesion ; however , a clear distinction must be made between solidarity activities and conventional social activities in connection with employment and traineeships ; an existing social activity cannot be converted into a solidarity activity ;


### &#8220 ; solidarity activity&#8221 ; means an activity aimed at addressing unmet societal needs to the benefit of a community while also fostering the individual ' s personal , educational , social , civic and professional development , which may take the form of placements , projects or networking activities , developed in relation to different areas , such as education and training , employment , gender equality , entrepreneurship , in particular social entrepreneurship , citizenship and democratic participation , environment and nature protection , climate action , disaster prevention , preparedness and recovery , agriculture and rural development , provision of food and non - food items , health and wellbeing , creativity and culture , physical education and sport , social assistance and welfare , reception and integration of third - country nationals , territorial cooperation and cohesion ; ### &#8220 ; solidarity activity&#8221 ; means an activity aimed at tackling significant societal challenges to the benefit of a community and the society as a whole while also fostering the individual ' s personal , educational , social , civic and professional development , which may take the form of placements , projects or networking activities , developed in relation to different areas , such as education and training , employment , gender equality , entrepreneurship , in particular social entrepreneurship , citizenship and democratic participation , environment and nature protection , climate action , disaster prevention , preparedness and recovery , agriculture and rural development , provision of food and non - food items , health and wellbeing , creativity and culture , physical education and sport , social assistance , social inclusion and welfare , reception and integration of third - country nationals , territorial cooperation and cohesion ;


### “volunteering” means a full - time32 unpaid voluntary service for a period of up to twelve months , which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations active in solidarity - related fields , to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out , including a solid learning and training dimension in order to enable the young volunteer to gain skills and competences , which will be useful for their personal , educational , social and professional development , and which will also contribute to improving their employability ; __________________ 32 as a general principle , an activity carried out continuously , 5 days a week for 7 hours a day . ### “volunteering” means an unpaid voluntary service within a public authority or a participating organisation in the non - profit sector , either full - time32 , part - time or during free time , for a period of up to twelve months , which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations active in solidarity - related fields , to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out , including a solid learning and training dimension in order to enable the young volunteer to gain skills and competences , which will be useful for their personal , educational , social and professional development , and which will also contribute to improving their employability ; __________________ 32 as a general principle , an activity carried out continuously , 5 days a week for 7 hours a day .


### “volunteering” means a full - time32 unpaid voluntary service for a period of up to twelve months , which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations active in solidarity - related fields , to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out , including a solid learning and training dimension in order to enable the young volunteer to gain skills and competences , which will be useful for their personal , educational , social and professional development , and which will also contribute to improving their employability ; __________________ 32 as a general principle , an activity carried out continuously , 5 days a week for 7 hours a day . ### “volunteering” means a full - time32 an unpaid voluntary placement for a period of two to twelve months , either on a full - time basis or on a flexible basis of at least 20 hours per week , which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of non - for - profit organizations such as youth organizations active in solidarity - related fields , to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out , including a solid learning and orientation dimension in order to enable the young volunteer to gain skills and competences , which will be useful for their personal , educational , social and professional development , and which will also contribute to improving their employability ; __________________ 32 as a general principle , an activity carried out continuously , 5 days a week for 7 hours a day .


### “volunteering” means a full - time32 unpaid voluntary service for a period of up to twelve months , which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations active in solidarity - related fields , to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out , including a solid learning and training dimension in order to enable the young volunteer to gain skills and competences , which will be useful for their personal , educational , social and professional development , and which will also contribute to improving their employability ; __________________ 32 as a general principle , an activity carried out continuously , 5 days a week for 7 hours a day . ### “volunteering” means a full - time32 unpaid voluntary service for a period of up to six months , which may be extended once for a maximum of six months and which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations active in solidarity - related fields , to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out , including a solid learning and training dimension in order to enable the young volunteer to gain skills and competences , which will be useful for their personal , educational , social and professional development , and which will also contribute to improving their employability ; __________________ 32 as a general principle , an activity carried out continuously , 5 days a week for 7 hours a day .


### “quality label” means the certification attributed to a public or private entity or an international organisation willing to provide placements under the european solidarity corps following a procedure aimed at ensuring compliance with the principles and requirements of the european solidarity corps charter ; ### “quality label” means the certification attributed to a public or private non - profit entity or an international organisation willing to provide placements under the european solidarity corps following a procedure aimed at ensuring compliance with the principles and requirements of the european solidarity corps charter ;


### the objective of the european solidarity corps is to enhance the engagement of young people and organisations in accessible and high quality solidarity activities as a means to contribute to strengthening cohesion and solidarity in europe , supporting communities and responding to societal challenges . ### the objective of the european solidarity corps is to enhance the engagement of young people and organisations in accessible and high quality solidarity activities as a means to contribute to strengthening cohesion and solidarity in europe , supporting communities and responding to societal challenges . its core objective should always be volunteering .


### to ensure that the solidarity activities that are offered to the european solidarity corps participants contribute to addressing concrete , unmet societal needs and strengthening communities , are of high quality and properly validated . ### to ensure that the solidarity activities that are offered to the european solidarity corps participants contribute to addressing concrete societal needs and strengthening communities , are of high quality and properly validated .


### solidarity placements in the form of volunteering , traineeships or jobs , including individual cross - border and in - country placements as well as volunteering teams ' placements ; ### solidarity placements in the form of cross - border volunteering , traineeships or jobs , including individual cross - border and in - country placements as well as volunteering teams ' placements ;


### solidarity placements in the form of volunteering , traineeships or jobs , including individual cross - border and in - country placements as well as volunteering teams ' placements ; ### solidarity placements in the form of volunteering , traineeships or jobs , including individual cross - border and in - country placements as well as volunteering teams ' placements , with the proviso that placement within the home country is possible only in a project with cross - border activities involving two or more countries ;


### measures aimed at ensuring the quality of solidarity placements , including training , language support , administrative support for participants and participating organisations , insurance , post - placement support as well as the development of a certificate that identifies and documents the knowledge , skills and competences acquired during the placement ; ### measures aimed at ensuring the quality of solidarity placements , including training , language support , administrative support for participants and participating organisations , insurance , post - placement support as well as the development of an official certificate that demonstrates the participant ' s value for employers and identifies and documents the knowledge , skills and competences acquired during the placement ;


### the european agricultural fund for rural development , contributing with eur 1 800 000 in current prices . ### deleted


### the commission , in cooperation with the participating countries , shall regularly monitor the performance of the european solidarity corps towards achieving its objectives . ### the commission , in cooperation with the participating countries , shall put a monitoring and evaluation framework in place as a priority and use this to monitor the performance of the european solidarity corps towards achieving its objectives .


### cultural heritage constitutes one of the basic elements of civilisation , it enriches the cultural life of all peoples and it should therefore be protected from unlawful appropriation and pillage . the union should accordingly prohibit the entry in the customs territory of the union of cultural goods unlawfully exported from third countries . ### cultural heritage constitutes one of the basic elements of civilization , it enriches the cultural life of all peoples and it unites us in shared memory knowledge and development of the humankind , therefore it should be protected from unlawful appropriation and pillage . targeting of cultural heritage is a serious crime that causes significant suffering to those immediately affected and beyond . the union should accordingly prohibit the entry in the customs territory of the union of cultural goods unlawfully exported from third countries .


### since certain categories of cultural goods , namely archaeological objects , elements of monuments , rare manuscripts and incunabula are particularly vulnerable to pillage and destruction , it seems necessary to provide for a system of increased scrutiny before they may enter the customs territory of the union . such a system should require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the member state of entry prior to the release for free circulation of those goods or their placement under a special customs procedure other than transit . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove licit export from the source country with the appropriate supportive documents and evidence , in particular , export certificates or licences issued by the third country of export , ownership titles , invoices , sales contracts , insurance documents , transport documents and experts appraisals . based on complete and accurate applications , the competent authorities of the member states should decide whether to issue a licence without undue delay . ### since certain categories of cultural goods , namely archaeological objects , elements of monuments , rare manuscripts and incunabula are particularly vulnerable to pillage and destruction , it seems necessary to provide for a system of increased scrutiny before they may enter the customs territory of the union . such a system should require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the first member state of entry prior to the release for free circulation of those goods or their placement under a special customs procedure other than transit . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove that the cultural goods have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations or to prove the absence of such laws and regulations . the licit export from the source country should be proved with the appropriate supportive documents and evidence , in particular , export certificates or export licences , ownership titles , invoices , sales contracts , insurance documents , transport documents and experts appraisals . based on complete and accurate applications , the competent authorities of the member states should decide whether to issue a licence without undue delay . in cases where the source country of the cultural goods cannot be reliably determined , the application should be accompanied by any supporting documents and information , providing evidence that the cultural goods were exported from the export country in accordance with its laws and regulations . the import of cultural goods that originate in conflict - affected or high - risk countries should always require the presentation of a licence issued by the competent authority of the first member state of entry . persons seeking to obtain such a licence should be able to prove that the cultural goods have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations . the commission should establish , by means of implementing acts , a regularly updated list of conflict - affected and high - risk countries . the commission should call upon external expertise such as unesco and the international council of museums to provide for such list which should be based on the red lists published by icom , which classify the endangered categories of archaeological objects or works of art in the most vulnerable areas of the world in order to prevent them being sold or illegally exported .


### for other categories of cultural goods , the persons seeking to introduce them into the customs territory of the union should , by means of a statement , certify and assume responsibility for their lawful export from the third country and should provide sufficient information for those goods to be identified by customs . in order to facilitate the procedure and for reasons of legal certainty , the information about the cultural good should be provided using a standardised document . the object id standard , recommended by unesco , should be used to describe the cultural goods . customs should register the entry of those cultural goods , keep the originals and give a copy of the relevant documents to the declarant , in order to ensure traceability after the goods enter the internal market . ### for other categories of cultural goods , the persons seeking to introduce them into the customs territory of the union should , by means of an electronic statement , certify and assume responsibility for their lawful export from the third country and should provide sufficient information for those goods to be identified by customs . in order to facilitate the procedure and for reasons of legal certainty , the information about the cultural good should be provided using an electronic standardized document . the object id standard , recommended by unesco , should be used to describe the cultural goods . those cultural goods should be electronically registered and the declarant should be provided with a copy of the relevant submitted documents in order to ensure traceability after the goods enter the internal market .


### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to adopt specific modalities for the temporary admission and storage of cultural goods into the customs territory of the union , the templates for import licence applications and forms , as well as for importer statements and their accompanying documents , as well as further procedural rules on their submission and processing . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to make arrangements for the establishment of an electronic database for the storage and exchange of information between member states . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council28 . __________________ 28 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission’s exercise of implementing powers . ### in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this regulation , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to adopt specific modalities for the temporary admission and storage of cultural goods into the customs territory of the union , which should be done while guaranteeing adequate conservation conditions , having due regard to the particular nature of the cultural goods . those modalities should also apply to the electronic standardised templates for import licence applications and forms , as well as for electronic importer statements and their accompanying documents , as well as to further procedural rules on their electronic submission and processing . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to make arrangements for the establishment of an electronic database for the storage and exchange of information between member states . those powers should be exercised in accordance with regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council28 . implementing powers should also be conferred on the commission to establish a regularly updated list of conflict - affected and high - risk countries . __________________ 28 regulation no 182 / 2011 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 february 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by member states of the commission’s exercise of implementing powers .


### relevant information on trade flows of cultural goods should be collected to support the efficient implementation of the regulation and to provide the basis for its future evaluation . trade flows of cultural goods cannot be efficiently monitored only by their value or weight since these two measurements can fluctuate . it is essential to collect information on the number of items declared . as no supplementary measurement unit is specified in the combined nomenclature for cultural goods , it is necessary to require that the number of items is declared . ### relevant information on trade flows of cultural goods should be collected to support the efficient implementation of the regulation and to provide the basis for its future evaluation . trade flows of cultural goods cannot be efficiently monitored only by their value or weight since these two measurements can fluctuate . it is essential to electronically collect information on the number of items declared . as no supplementary measurement unit is specified in the combined nomenclature for cultural goods , it is necessary to require that the number of items is declared .


### sufficient time should be provided for the commission to adopt rules implementing this regulation , in particular those regarding the appropriate forms to use to apply for an import licence or to prepare an importer statement . consequently , the application of this regulation should be deferred . ### sufficient time should be provided for the commission to adopt rules implementing this regulation , in particular those regarding the appropriate electronic standardised forms to use to apply for an import licence or to prepare an importer statement . consequently , the application of this regulation should be deferred .


### ' export country ' means the last country in which the cultural goods were permanently held in accordance with that country ' s laws and regulations before their dispatch to the union ; ### ' export country ' means the last country in which the cultural goods were held in accordance with that country ' s laws and regulations before their dispatch to the union ;


### the temporary admission , within the meaning of article 250 of regulation no 952 / 2013 , in the customs territory of the union of cultural goods for educational , scientific and academic research purposes ; ### the temporary admission , within the meaning of article 250 of regulation no 952 / 2013 , in the customs territory of the union of cultural goods for educational , scientific , restoration , conservation and academic research purposes and for the purpose of cooperation between museums or similar public non - profit institutions for the organization of cultural exhibitions . the cultural goods to be presented at commercial fairs and international art fairs shall not be subject to the presentation of an import licence or an importer statement . however , should the cultural goods be acquired and remain within the territory of the union , they shall be subject to the submission of an import licence in accordance with article 4 or the presentation of an importer statement in accordance with article 5 .


### the holder of the goods shall apply for an import licence to the competent authority of the member state of entry . the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods in question have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations . however , where the export country is a contracting party to the unesco convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import , export and transfer of ownership of cultural property signed in paris on 14 november 1970 , the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods have been exported from that country in accordance with its laws and regulations . ### the holder of the cultural goods listed in the previous paragraph shall apply for an import licence to the competent authority of the first member state of entry . the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information substantiating that the cultural goods in question have been exported from the source country in accordance with its laws and regulations or in the absence of such laws and regulations . in cases where the source country of the cultural goods cannot be reliably determined , the application shall be accompanied by any supporting documents and information , providing evidence that the cultural goods were exported from the export country in accordance with its laws and regulations .


### the competent authority has reasonable grounds to believe that the holder of the goods did not acquire them lawfully . ### the competent authority has reasonable grounds to affirm that the holder of the goods did not acquire them lawfully .


### the commission may establish , by means of implementing acts , the template for the application for the import licence as well as the procedural rules on the submission and processing of such an application . those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in article 13 . ### the commission shall establish , by means of implementing acts , the electronic standardised template for the application for the import licence as well as the procedural rules on the electronic submission and processing of such an application together with the relevant supporting documents , which shall be done by electronic means . those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in article 13 .


### the release for free circulation and the placing under a special procedure other than transit in the union of the cultural goods referred to in points , , , , , , , and of the annex shall be subject to the submission of an importer statement to the customs authorities of the member state of entry . ### the release for free circulation and the placing under a special procedure other than transit in the union of the cultural goods referred to in points , , , , , , , and of the annex shall be subject to the submission of an electronic importer statement to the customs authorities of the first member state of entry .


### the import licence referred to in article 4 or the importer statement referred to in article 5 , as the case may be , shall be submitted to the customs office competent to release the cultural goods for free circulation or for placing them under a special procedure other than transit . ### the import licence referred to in article 4 or the importer statement referred to in article 5 , as the case may be , shall be electronically submitted to the customs office competent to release the cultural goods for free circulation or for placing them under a special procedure other than transit .


### with regard to cultural goods requiring the issue of an import licence to enter the customs territory of the union , the customs authorities shall check whether the import licence corresponds to the goods presented . for that purpose , they may physically examine the cultural goods , including by conducting an expertise . ### with regard to cultural goods requiring the issue of an import licence to enter the customs territory of the union , the customs authorities shall check whether the import licence corresponds to the goods presented . for that purpose , they may physically examine the cultural goods by conducting an expertise . the import licence electronically registered shall be attributed a serial number and a registration date and , upon release of the goods , the declarant will be provided with a copy of the registered import licence .