Mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2020: providing emergency assistance to Member States and further reinforcing the Union Civil Protection Mechanism/rescEU in response to the COVID-19 outbreak

PURPOSE: to mobilise the Contingency Margin in 2020 to provide emergency assistance to Member States and further reinforce the Union Civil Protection Mechanism/rescEU in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2020/547 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2020 to provide emergency assistance to Member States and further reinforce the Union Civil Protection Mechanism/rescEU in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

CONTENT: following the agreement between the European Parliament and the Council, this Decision to mobilise the Contingency Margin in 2020 to provide emergency assistance to Member States and further reinforce the Union Civil Protection Mechanism/rescEU in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 established a Contingency Margin of up to 0.03 % of the Gross National Income of the Union in order for the EU-28 to react to unforeseen circumstances as a last resort instrument. In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013, the Commission has calculated the absolute amount of this Contingency Margin for 2020.

After having examined all other financial possibilities to react to unforeseen circumstances within the 2020 commitment ceiling for heading 3 (Security and citizenship) of the multiannual financial framework (MFF), and having regard to the mobilisation of the Global Margin for Commitments for the full amount of 2 392 402 163 available in 2020 and of the Flexibility Instrument for the full amount of EUR 1 094 414 188 available in 2020, the Contingency Margin shall be mobilised to address the needs stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak by increasing the commitment appropriations in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020, over and above the ceiling of heading 3 of the MFF.

It shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 714 558 138. This amount shall be offset against the margin under the commitment ceiling of the financial year 2020 of heading 5 (Administration) of the multiannual financial framework.

This Decision is linked to financing included in Amending budget No 2 to the general budget of the European Union for 2020. In order to ensure coherence with that amending budget, this Decision shall apply from the date of its adoption.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21.4.2020. It shall apply from 17.4.2020.