Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

Mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument: projects in the field of energy; decommissioning of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant

2009/2207(BUD)

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report drawn up by Reimer BÖGE (EPP, ED) approving the proposal for a decision to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument in order to finance part of the European Economic Recovery Plan as well as the decommissioning of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria.

In concrete terms, the decommissioning of the Kozloduy will continue after 2009 and require financing of EUR 300 million for the period 2010-2013. The two arms of the budgetary authority decided at the conciliation meeting of 18 November 2009 to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to cover the necessary amount (see BUD 2009/2002).

The two arms of the budgetary authority agreed to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to complement the financing in the 2010 budget in the field of energy in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan, beyond the ceiling of subheading 1a, of:

  • EUR 120 million towards the financing of projects in the field of energy;
  • EUR 75 million for the decommissioning of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

MEPs welcome the agreement reached during the conciliation meeting on the use of the Flexibility Instrument but deplore the fact that the Commission presented the financing needs for Kozloduy only in Letter of amendment No 2/2010 (i.e. after Parliament's first reading). They consider that the late arrival of the proposal, which created an additional pressure on subheading 1a, considerably affected the dynamics of the negotiations on the 2010 budget and Parliament's ability to pursue its political priorities. However, they consider it essential to stick to the political commitments and thus to continue financing the decommissioning of Kozloduy in 2010.

MEPs point out that further financing of Kozloduy in 2011-2013 should be without prejudice to the financing of the existing multi-annual programmes and actions.

They approve the decision annexed to this resolution with the aim of mobilising the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 195 million for 2010.