PURPOSE: to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument without delay, in order to finance support for measures for managing the challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/8 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the on-going challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

CONTENT: the European Parliament and the Council decided to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to supplement the financing available in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2018, beyond the ceiling of heading 3 ( Security and citizenship ) by an amount of EUR 837 241 199 , to finance measures in the field of migration, refugees and security .

This amount includes amounts which lapsed in the previous years of the European Union Solidarity Fund and of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and which are made available for the Flexibility Instrument in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020.

The distribution of the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument is estimated as follows:

EUR 464 039 631 in 2018; EUR 212 683 883 in 2019; EUR 126 354 910 in 2020; EUR 34 162 775 in 2021.

The specific amounts of payment appropriations for each financial year shall be authorised in accordance with the annual budgetary procedure.

As a reminder, the Flexibility Instrument is intended to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more other headings. The ceiling on the annual amount available for the Flexibility Instrument is EUR 600 000 000 (2011 prices).

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 6.1.2018.

APPLICATION: from 1.1.2018.

The European Parliament adopted by 535 votes to 79, with 31 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the on-going challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

Parliament approved the decision to mobilise , under the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2018, the flexibility instrument to provide the amount of EUR 837 241 199 in commitment appropriations under heading 3 (Security and Citizenship). This amount shall be used to fund measures to address current challenges related to migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

The distribution of the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument are estimated as follows:

EUR 464 039 631 in 2018; EUR 212 683 883 in 2019; EUR 126 354 910 in 2020; EUR 34 162 775 in 2021.

In order to allow for the quick use of the funds, it is proposed that this Decision apply from the beginning of the financial year 2018.

As a reminder, the flexibility instrument is intended to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more other headings.

The ceiling on the annual amount available for the flexibility instrument is EUR 600 million (2011 prices), as laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 .

In its resolution, Parliament reiterated that the mobilisation of this instrument showed how crucial it was for the EU budget to be more flexible . It reiterated its long-standing view that the payments stemming from commitments previously mobilised through the flexibility instrument can only be counted over and above the MFF ceilings.

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP, RO) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the on-going challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

As a reminder, the Flexibility Instrument is intended to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more other headings.

The ceiling on the annual amount available for the Flexibility Instrument is EUR 600 million (2011 prices), as laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 .

In order to address the ongoing challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats, it is proposed to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to provide EUR 837 241 199 (compared to EUR 817.1 as proposed by the Commission) in commitment appropriations in heading 3 (Security and Citizenship).

The distribution of the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument are estimated as follows:

EUR 464 039 631 in 2018; EUR 212 683 883 in 2019; EUR 126 354 910 in 2020; EUR 34 162 775 in 2021.

In order to allow for the quick use of the funds, it is proposed that this Decision apply from the beginning of the financial year 2018.

PURPOSE: to mobilise the flexibility instrument in order to finance support for measures for managing the challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 lays down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allowing for the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more headings of the multiannual financial framework.

In accordance with Article 11 of Council Regulation No 1311/2013 and point 12 of the Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, after having examined all possibilities for re-allocating appropriations and exhausted any unallocated margin under the expenditure heading Security and Citizenship (heading 3), the Commission proposes to mobilise the flexibility instrument in 2018 for an amount of EUR 817.1 million .

This mobilisation is intended to finance support for measures for managing the challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats .

The payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument shall be distributed indicatively as follows:

EUR 452.9 million in 2018; EUR 207.6 million in 2019; EUR 123.3 million in 2020; EUR 33.3 million in 2021.

NB: this proposal takes account of the proposal to amend Regulation No 1311/2013 , referred to above, to carry out the mid-term revision of the 2014-2020 financial framework . If the final text of the amendment to Regulation No 1311/2013 amends the amounts provided for in the Commission proposal, this proposal for the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument shall be revised accordingly.