Mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument: immediate budgetary measures under the European agenda on migration

The European Parliament adopted by 573 votes to 66, with 10 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for immediate budgetary measures under the European Agenda on Migration, in accordance with point 12 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management.

Parliament recalled that the Commission proposed to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument, over and above the MFF ceilings, to complement the financing in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2015 by EUR 66.1 million in commitment appropriations to finance measures for managing the refugee and migration crisis. The 2015 ceiling for heading 3 does not allow for an adequate financing of important and urgent political priorities of the Union.

Therefore, the European Parliament agreed to the proposed allocation of the corresponding payment appropriations of EUR 52.9 million in 2016 and EUR 13.2 million in 2017.

Flexibility Instrument: Parliament reiterated that the mobilisation of this instrument shows, once more, the crucial need for the Union budget to be more flexible.

It reiterated its long-standing view that, without prejudice to the possibility for payment appropriations to be mobilised for specific budget lines through the Flexibility Instrument without prior mobilisations in commitments, the payments stemming from commitments previously mobilised through the Flexibility Instrument can only be counted over and above the ceilings.