Article 10 Additional Member State contributionsF1

On their own initiative, Member States may provide the Commission or the EIB with voluntary contributions in accordance with Article 1(9) of the Internal Agreement to help achieve the objectives of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement outside joint co-financing arrangements. Such contributions shall not affect the overall allocation of funds under the EDF. They shall be treated in the same way as Member States' regular contributions referred to in Article 1(2) of the Internal Agreement except for the provisions of Articles 6 and 7 of the Internal Agreement for which specific arrangements may be laid down in a bilateral contribution agreement.

Earmarking shall only be made in duly justified circumstances, for example in response to the exceptional circumstances as referred to in Article 4(3). In such a case, voluntary contributions entrusted to the Commission shall be treated as assigned revenue in accordance with the EDF Financial Regulation.

The additional funds shall be integrated in the programming and review process and in the annual action programmes, in the individual measures and in the special measures referred to in this Regulation, and shall reflect partner country or region ownership.

Any resulting change in the action programmes, individual measures or special measures shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with Article 9.

Member States entrusting the Commission or the EIB with additional voluntary contributions to help achieve the objectives of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement shall inform the Council and the EDF Committee, or the Investment Facility Committee, of those contributions in advance.