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Ahead of the EU summit, the Chair and the coordinators of the Committee on Budgets call for an ambitious budgetary and financial package in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. "The Union budget is part of the solution to overcome the public health and economic shock (...) with instruments like the civil protection mechanism, the research framework programme, cohesion policy or InvestEU (...)."

On 24 March 2020, the Chairs of the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Development and Budget wrote to the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative Josep Borrell, and the Commissioners for International Partnerships, Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Crisis Management and Budget to express support for the Commission's efforts to combat the COVID-19 crisis.

On 17 March, the MFF co-rapporteurs Jan Olbrycht (EPP, PL) and Margarida Marques (S&D, PT) issued a draft legislative initiative report to request the Commission to submit a proposal for an MFF contingency plan by 15 June 2020. The objective is to provide a safety net to protect the beneficiaries of Union programmes by ensuring continuity of funding and implementation, should an agreement on the 2021-2027 MFF not be reached in time to enter into force on 1 January 2021.

On 19 March, BUDG Members will have the opportunity to question Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration, on the Commission's strategy in the ongoing negotiations on the Union's long-term budget (MFF) for the period 2021-2027.