Article 75 Time limits for commitments

Without prejudice to Articles 73(2) and 109(2) legal commitments relating to individual or provisional budgetary commitments shall be entered into by 31 December of year n, year n being the one in which the budgetary commitment was made.

Global budgetary commitments shall cover the total cost of the corresponding legal commitments concluded up to 31 December of year n + 1.

At the end of the periods referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the unused balance of such budgetary commitments shall be decommitted by the authorising officer.

The individual and provisional budgetary commitments for actions extending over more than one financial year shall, except in the case of staff expenditure, have a final date for implementation set, in accordance with the conditions in the legal commitments to which they refer, and taking into account the principle of sound financial management.

Any parts of budgetary commitments that have not been executed by payments six months after the final date for implementation shall be decommitted in accordance with Article 14.

The amount of a budgetary commitment for which no payment within the meaning of Article 76 has been made within two years of the signing of the legal commitment shall be decommitted, except where that amount relates to a case under litigation before judicial courts or arbitral bodies or where there are special provisions laid down in sector-specific rules.