Council Decision (EU) 2020/970

of 3 July 2020

further extending the temporary derogation from the Council’s Rules of Procedure introduced by Decision (EU) 2020/430, and extended by Decisions (EU) 2020/556 and (EU) 2020/702, in view of the travel difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Union

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 240(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)
Council Decision (EU) 2020/4301 introduced a one-month derogation from the first subparagraph of Article 12(1) of the Council’s Rules of Procedure2 as regards decisions to use the ordinary written procedure, where those decisions are taken by the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States (Coreper). That derogation was foreseen until 23 April 2020.
(2)
Decision (EU) 2020/430 provides that, if justified by continued exceptional circumstances, the Council may renew that Decision. On 21 April 2020, the Council by Decision (EU) 2020/5563 extended the derogation provided for in Article 1 of Decision (EU) 2020/430 for a further period of one month from 23 April 2020. That extension of the derogation was foreseen until 23 May 2020. On 20 May 2020, the Council by Decision (EU) 2020/7024 extended the derogation provided for in Article 1 of Decision (EU) 2020/430 for a further period until 10 July 2020.
(3)

Given that the exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continue, with a number of extraordinary preventive and containment measures taken by Member States still in place, it is necessary to extend the derogation provided for in Article 1 of Decision (EU) 2020/430, as extended by Decisions (EU) 2020/556 and (EU) 2020/702, for a further limited period until 10 September 2020,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The derogation provided for in Article 1 of Decision (EU) 2020/430, as extended by Decisions (EU) 2020/556 and (EU) 2020/702, is hereby further extended until 10 September 2020.

Article 2

This Decision shall take effect on the date of its adoption.

It shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 3 July 2020.

For the Council

The President

M. Roth