Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to the 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^f1, and in particular point 14 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas,

Article 13 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013^f2 has established a Contingency Margin of up to 0,03 % of the Gross National Income of the Union.

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^f3.

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, it is necessary to mobilise the Contingency Margin 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.

Having regard to this very particular situation, the last-resort condition set in Article 13(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 is fullfilled.

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 should apply from the date of its adoption,

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