Recital (7) · CARE · GlobalLawDB

(7)In order to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013^note and (EU) No 1303/2013^note of the European Parliament and of the Council were amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/460 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note to allow more flexibility in the implementation of programmes supported by the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund (the ‘Funds’) and by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. However, as the serious negative effects of that crisis on Union economies and societies worsened, both Regulations were amended again, by Regulation (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note.In addition, in order to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the most deprived, Regulation (EU) No 223/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note was amended by Regulation (EU) 2020/559 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note to introduce specific measures for the FEAD to address the outbreak of COVID-19. Those amendments have provided exceptional additional flexibility to enable the Member States to concentrate on the necessary response to the unprecedented crisis by enhancing the possibility to mobilise non-utilised support from the Funds and by simplifying procedural requirements linked to programme implementation to address the need for a rapid response to that crisis. A subsequent amendment of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, introduced by Regulation (EU) 2020/2221 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note, made available substantial additional resources as REACT-EU to provide assistance for fostering crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its social consequences and for preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy.As part of the same package, Regulation (EU) No 223/2014 was also amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/177 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note, in order to allow the mobilisation of those additional resources by Member States to the most deprived in the context of the implementation of the FEAD.