
COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/556 of 21 April 2020 extending the temporary derogation from the Council’s Rules of Procedure introduced by Decision (EU) 2020/430 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) 2020/430 introduced a one-month derogation from the first subparagraph of Article 12(1) of the Council’s Rules of Procedure 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 expires on 23 April 2020.

(2) Decision (EU) 2020/430 provides that, if justified by continued exceptional circumstances, the Council may renew that Decision.

(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 for a further period of one month,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 
The derogation provided for in Article 1 of Decision (EU) 2020/430 is hereby extended for a period of one month from 23 April 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, 21 April 2020.
For the Council
The President
G. GRLIĆ RADMAN