Safekeeping
Article 2
1. Member States that import cultural goods for the purpose of safekeeping shall create refuges for their storage. Those storage facilities shall be specifically equipped to receive cultural goods and ensure their safety and maintenance in good condition. Free zones as referred to in Article 243 of Regulation (EU) 952/2013 may not be designated as a refuge. 2. Where a Member State creates a refuge, it shall designate a public authority to operate it or supervise its operation and shall upload the contact details of that authority to the ICG system. The Commission shall make this information available on the internet. 3. Member States may only designate state, regional or local authorities or bodies governed by public law as those are defined in Article 2(1) point (4) of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 9 ) , as public authorities to operate or supervise the operation of a refuge. 4. Cultural goods belonging to the categories listed in Parts B and C of the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2019/880, which are of importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science may be temporarily placed in a refuge within the customs territory of the Union to prevent their destruction or loss due to armed conflict, natural disaster or other emergency situations affecting the third country in question. 5. The import of cultural goods for the purpose referred to in Article 3(4) point (b) of Regulation (EU) 2019/880 shall require the prior acceptance of an official request for safekeeping submitted by a public authority of the third country possessing or holding the cultural goods to the public authority in the Union which has been designated to operate or to supervise the operation of the refuge in which the cultural goods are to be placed. 6. In the absence of a specific arrangement between the parties, the costs of storage and maintenance of the cultural goods placed in a refuge shall be borne by the Member State hosting that refuge. 7. The following shall apply with regard to the customs procedure under which cultural goods can be placed while they are stored in a refuge: (a) The entity operating the refuge shall declare the cultural goods for placement under the private customs warehousing procedure in accordance with Article 240 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, provided that that entity holds an authorisation for operating a private customs warehouse in the premises of that refuge. (b) Alternatively, the entity operating the refuge may declare the cultural goods for release for free circulation with relief from import duty, in accordance with Articles 42 to 44 of Council Regulation (EC) 1186/2009 ( 10 ) . (c) The entity operating the refuge may initially place the cultural goods under the temporary admission procedure. When this customs procedure is selected, arrangements shall be made for the goods to be subsequently placed under one of the procedures under point (a) or (b), in case the maximum allocated temporary admission period under Article 251 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 expires and its extension is not granted, while the safe return of the goods to the third country is not yet possible. 8. The cultural goods may be temporarily moved from the premises of the refuge in order to be exhibited to the public, provided that the following conditions are met: (a) the third country from which the cultural goods have been imported has given its consent; (b) the customs authorities have authorised the move in accordance with Article 240(3) of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013; (c) the premises designated for the purpose of display offer the appropriate conditions to ensure the protection, conservation and maintenance of the goods.