Where use is made of the prerogatives provided for by law to recognise the existence of exceptional circumstances or to implement temporary measures to deal with such circumstances and where these circumstances affect the procedures for awarding or the conditions of performance of a public contract, a decree may provide for the application of all or some of the measures in this Book to public contracts which are in the process of being performed, awarded or for which the award procedure has not yet been initiated.
The decree comes into force in all or part of the territory of the Republic where these provisions are applicable, for a period which may not exceed twenty-four months and which may be extended, if necessary, by law.