# Regulation (EU) 2020/1042 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2020 laying down temporary measures concerning the time limits for the collection, the verification and the examination stages provided for in Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on the European citizens’ initiative in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, Article 2: Extension of time limits for the collection of statements of support

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

1. Notwithstanding Article 8(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 and Article 5(5) of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011, where the collection of statements of support for an initiative was ongoing on 11 March 2020, the maximum collection period shall be extended for a period of six months in respect of that initiative.
Where the collection of statements of support for an initiative started between 11 March 2020 and 11 September 2020, the collection period shall be extended until 11 September 2021, in respect of that initiative.
The Commission shall inform the organisers of the initiatives concerned and the Member States of the extension provided for in the first and second subparagraphs of this paragraph. It shall indicate the new end date of the collection period for each initiative in the online register referred to in Article 4(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788.
2. The Commission may adopt implementing acts to further extend the maximum collection period for statements of support for initiatives referred to in paragraph 1, where at least a quarter of Member States or a number of Member States representing more than 35 % of the Union population continue to apply after 11 September 2020 measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which substantially hamper the ability of organisers to collect statements of support in paper form and to inform the public of their ongoing initiatives.
The Commission may also adopt implementing acts to extend the maximum collection period for statements of support for initiatives in respect of which collection is ongoing at the moment of a new COVID-19 outbreak where at least a quarter of Member States or a number of Member States representing more than 35 % of the Union population apply measures that negatively affect organisers of those initiatives to the same extent as the measures referred to in the first subparagraph.
The implementing acts provided for in the first and second subparagraphs shall identify which initiatives are concerned and the new end date of their collection period.
Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 6(2).
The duration of each extension under this paragraph shall be three months.
For the purpose of the assessment by the Commission of whether the requirements for the adoption of implementing acts referred to in the first and second subparagraphs are fulfilled, the Member States shall provide the Commission, upon request, with information on the measures that they have taken or intend to take in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or in response to a new COVID-19 outbreak.
The Commission shall notify its decision to the organisers and inform the Member States of any extension granted in respect of each initiative concerned. It shall publish its decision in the online register referred to in Article 4(3) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788.
3. Notwithstanding paragraphs 1 and 2, the total duration of the collection period shall not exceed 24 months.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2020/1042/article/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2020-1042/article-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.