(2)Taking into account the exceptional economic and financial circumstances associated with the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), on 18 March 2020, the Governing Council decided to launch a new temporary pandemic emergency purchase programme (hereinafter the ‘PEPP’) including all the asset categories eligible under the ECB’s asset purchase programme, consisting of the secondary markets public sector asset purchase programme, the third covered bond purchase programme, the asset-backed securities purchase programme, and the corporate sector purchase programme. On the basis of certain considerations and assessments, the Governing Council also decided that marketable debt securities issued by the central government of the Hellenic Republic should be eligible for purchase under the PEPP, despite the fact that they did not at the time fulfil the Eurosystem’s minimum credit quality requirements.