Flexibility Instrument: mobilisation to complement the financing of the European GNSS programmes EGNOS-GALILEO and of  the Common Foreign and Security Policy CFSP

The Committee on Budgets unanimously approved the report by Reimer BÖGE (EPP-ED, DE) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument.

It welcomes the agreement reached during the conciliation on the use of the Flexibility Instrument in favour of GNSS Programmes and the CFSP for a total amount of EUR 270 million.

This mobilisation of additional funds was deemed necessary by the budgetary authority as it considers it imperative to adequately fund the GNSS programmes (EGNOS, GALILEO). Furthermore, increasing needs in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) area were also of great concern during the preparation of the 2008 Budget, particularly in view of the need to mobilise the necessary resources for the EU mission in Kosovo.

The two arms of the budgetary authority decided at the conciliation meeting on 23 November 2007 (see BUD/2007/2017) to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to complement the financing in the 2008 budget of:

- the European GNSS programmes (EGNOS-GALILEO) for an amount of EUR 200 million;

- the CFSP for an amount of EUR 70 million.

Lastly, MEPs highlight the joint efforts that have safeguarded sufficient resources for new and existing CFSP/ESDP missions, in particular the planned EU Police Mission in Kosovo. They stress, however, that external actions in general, and CFSP in particular, are not sufficiently catered for in the long term compared to the demands now identified. They are convinced that CFSP funding suffers from this structural problem and that it merits a multi-annual solution for future years (as proved by the fact that needs for both 2007 and 2008 largely exceed the annual forecasts made at the time of adopting the financial framework). They call on the Commission and the Council to present proposal indicating possible ways forward.