The Committee on Budgets adopted the joint initiative report by Jan OLBRYCHT (EPP, PL) and Isabelle THOMAS (S&D, FR) containing a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council regulation amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020.

In parallel with the adoption of the revised financial framework, Members called on the European Parliament to approve:

joint statements by the Parliament and the Council on top-ups; the declaration of the European Parliament on the accumulation of unpaid bills.

They also called on Parliament to take note of the unilateral statements by the Council and the Commission in a number of specific areas.

Joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council on reinforcements (top-ups) : in the context of the MFF mid-term review/revision, the European Parliament and the Council have agreed on the top-ups as proposed by the Commission for the amounts indicated in the table below, to be implemented in the years 2017 to 2020 in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure.

The requested budgetary reinforcements are as follows, in commitment appropriations:

- Heading 1a :

Horizon 2020: EUR 200 million, CEF Transport: EUR 300 million, Erasmus +: EUR 100 million, COSME: EUR 100 million, Wifi4EU: EUR 25 million, EFSI: EUR 150 million,

- Heading 1b (Youth Employment Initiative): EUR 1.2 billion from 2017 to 2020,

- Heading 3 : EUR 2.549 billion,

- Heading 4 : EUR 1.385 billion,

Total headings 1a, 1b, 3 and 4: EUR 6.009 billion .

Redeployments of an overall amount of EUR 945 million will be identified in the annual budget procedure, out of which EUR 875 million in Heading 1a and EUR 70 million in Heading 4.

Joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council on avoiding accumulation of an excessive amount of unpaid bills : the Commission is called on to continue closely scrutinising the implementation of the 2014-2020 programmes in order to ensure an orderly progression of payment appropriations. To that end, Members invited the Commission to present in a timely manner, throughout the remaining period of the current MFF, updated figures concerning the state of affairs and estimates regarding payment appropriations .

The European Parliament and the Council will take any necessary decisions in due time for duly justified needs to prevent the accumulation of an excessive amount of unpaid bills and to ensure that payment claims are duly reimbursed

Other joint statements are included in the draft resolution, they may be summarised as follows:

joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council on payments for special instruments , it is proposed to adapt the proposal for amending Decision (EU) 2015/435 on special instruments; joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council concerning an independent evaluation of the results of the target of progressive reduction of staff by 5% between 2013 and 2017 : this evaluation should cover all institutions, bodies and agencies; statement of the European Parliament on the joint statements linked to the MFF midterm revision : it is recalled that the four joint statements that accompany the revised MFF Regulation are of political nature without any legal implications. As regards the joint statement on reinforcements (“top-ups”) and redeployments for Union programmes, it is proposed that the Parliament should exercise fully its prerogatives, which should not be compromised by any political declaration. The amounts indicated in this joint statement represent reference amounts to be examined in the context of the annual budgetary procedure .

On payments for Special Instruments , Members called on the Council to maintain the status quo and not establish , in the context of this review/revision, a general and over-arching rule as regards the treatment of payments for other special instruments. It will remain open for the Budgetary Authority to decide on a case-by-case basis, in respect of a specific mobilisation in question, whether or not some or all of the corresponding payments are to be counted above the MFF ceilings.

On reinforcing the Youth Employment Initiative , it is provided to increase the funding for the Youth Employment Initiative beyond the amount of EUR 1.2 billion by using margins available under the Global Margin for Commitments. The Commission will report regularly on the observed statistical trends and submit a Draft Amending Budget if appropriate.

The European Parliament adopted by 470 votes to 166, with 66 abstentions, a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council regulation amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020.

In parallel with the adoption of the revised financial framework, the European Parliament approved:

joint statements by the Parliament and the Council on top-ups; the declaration of the European Parliament on the accumulation of unpaid bills.

It also took note of the unilateral statements by the Council and the Commission in a number of specific areas.

Joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council on reinforcements (top-ups) : in the context of the MFF mid-term review/revision, the European Parliament and the Council have agreed on the top-ups as proposed by the Commission for the amounts indicated in the table below, to be implemented in the years 2017 to 2020 in the framework of the annual budgetary procedure.

The requested budgetary reinforcements are as follows, in commitment appropriations:

- Heading 1a :

Horizon 2020: EUR 200 million, CEF Transport: EUR 300 million, Erasmus +: EUR 100 million, COSME: EUR 100 million, Wifi4EU: EUR 25 million, EFSI: EUR 150 million,

- Heading 1b (Youth Employment Initiative): EUR 1.2 billion from 2017 to 2020,

- Heading 3 : EUR 2.549 billion,

- Heading 4 : EUR 1.385 billion,

Total headings 1a, 1b, 3 and 4: EUR 6.009 billion .

Redeployments of an overall amount of EUR 945 million will be identified in the annual budget procedure, out of which EUR 875 million in Heading 1a and EUR 70 million in Heading 4.

Joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council on avoiding accumulation of an excessive amount of unpaid bills : Parliament called on the Commission to continue closely scrutinising the implementation of the 2014-2020 programmes in order to ensure an orderly progression of payment appropriations. To that end, Members invited the Commission to present in a timely manner, throughout the remaining period of the current MFF, updated figures concerning the state of affairs and estimates regarding payment appropriations .

The European Parliament and the Council will take any necessary decisions in due time for duly justified needs to prevent the accumulation of an excessive amount of unpaid bills and to ensure that payment claims are duly reimbursed

Other joint statements are included in the draft resolution, they may be summarised as follows:

joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council on payments for special instruments , it is proposed to adapt the proposal for amending Decision (EU) 2015/435 on special instruments; joint statement of the European Parliament and the Council concerning an independent evaluation of the results of the target of progressive reduction of staff by 5% between 2013 and 2017 : this evaluation should cover all institutions, bodies and agencies; statement of the European Parliament on the joint statements linked to the MFF midterm revision : it is recalled that the four joint statements that accompany the revised MFF Regulation are of political nature without any legal implications. As regards the joint statement on reinforcements (“top-ups”) and redeployments for Union programmes, it is proposed that the Parliament should exercise fully its prerogatives, which should not be compromised by any political declaration. The amounts indicated in this joint statement represent reference amounts to be examined in the context of the annual budgetary procedure.

On payments for Special Instruments , Parliament called on the Council to maintain the status quo and not establish , in the context of this review/revision, a general and over-arching rule as regards the treatment of payments for other special instruments. It will remain open for the Budgetary Authority to decide on a case-by-case basis, in respect of a specific mobilisation in question, whether or not some or all of the corresponding payments are to be counted above the MFF ceilings.

On reinforcing the Youth Employment Initiative , it is provided that should the downwards trend in youth unemployment observed since 2013 reverse again, consideration should be given to increasing the funding for the Youth Employment Initiative beyond the amount of EUR 1.2 billion by using margins available under the Global Margin for Commitments. For that purpose, the Commission will report regularly on the observed statistical trends and submit a Draft Amending Budget if appropriate.

Lastly, additional margins available should be considered to invest in young people across Europe and for measures to address the internal and external dimension of the migration crisis and security issues should new needs arise which are not covered by the existing or agreed funding.