1.In the case of a Union military rapid response operation, contributions shall be due by contributing Member States at the level of the reference amount. Without prejudice to Article 25(3), payments shall be made as defined below.
2.For the purpose of the early financing of the Union military rapid response operations, the participating Member States shall either:
(a)pay contributions to Athena in advance; or
(b)when the Council decides to conduct a Union military rapid response operation to the financing of which they contribute, pay their contributions to the common costs of that operation within five days following despatch of the call at the level of the reference amount, unless the Council decides otherwise.
3.For the purpose referred to in paragraph 2, the Special Committee, composed of one representative of each of the Member States contributing in advance, shall establish provisional appropriations in a specific title in the budget. These provisional appropriations shall be covered by contributions payable by the Member States contributing in advance within 90 days following despatch of the call for these contributions.
4.Any provisional appropriations referred to in paragraph 3 which are used for an operation shall be replenished within 90 days following despatch of the call.
5.Without prejudice to paragraph 1, any Member State contributing in advance may in specific circumstances authorise the administrator to use its contribution paid in advance to cover its contribution to an operation in which it participates, other than a rapid response operation. The contribution paid in advance shall be replenished by the Member State concerned within 90 days following despatch of the call.
6.Where funds are required for an operation, other than a rapid response operation, before sufficient contributions to that operation have been received:
(a)contributions paid in advance by Member States which contribute to financing that operation after approval by the Member States contributing in advance, may be used up to 75 % of their amount to cover contributions due to that operation. The contributions paid in advance shall be replenished by the Member States contributing in advance within 90 days following despatch of the call;
(b)in the case referred to in point (a) of this paragraph, contributions due for the operation under Article 25(1) from Member States that had not contributed in advance shall be paid, after approval by the Member States concerned, within five days following despatch of the call by the administrator.
7.The operation commander may commit and pay the amounts made available to him or her, including pursuant to Article 34(3).
8.Any Member State may reverse its option by notifying the administrator at least three months in advance.
9.Interest earned on the early financing will be apportioned annually to the Member States contributing in advance and added to their provisional appropriations. The amounts will be notified to those Member States as part of the annual budgetary approval process.