In contrast to the rules set out in where Member States are not obliged to take responsibility above their fair share, in a situation of crisis, the implementation of the Solidarity Response plan could potentially lead to one or several contributing Member States taking responsibility for examining applications for international protection above their fair share. In such cases, such a Member State should be entitled to reduce proportionally the part above the fair share from the implementation of solidarity pledges under the upcoming annual cycles of over a period of five years. Such reduction could also be applied in a Council implementing decision adopted pursuant to Article 4(3) with the corresponding amount of applications beyond the fair share and within five years from the date in which the Council implementing decision that led the Member State to go beyond its fair share is no longer in force. It should be possible for the reductions under the upcoming annual cycles and in a Council implementing decision to be applied alternatively or simultaneously, provided that they correspond to and do not go beyond the number of applications for which that Member State contributed above its fair share.