PURPOSE: to mobilise the flexibility instrument to provide the financing of the European fund for sustainable development Fund (EFSD).

BACKGROUND: the flexibility instrument allows the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits available for one or more headings of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2014- 2020.

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 laying down the multiannual financial framework.

In order to address the ongoing challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats, it is necessary to mobilise significant additional amounts to finance appropriate measures as a matter of urgency.

Having examined all possibilities for re-allocating appropriations under the expenditure ceiling for heading 4 (Global Europe), the Commission considers that it is necessary to mobilise the flexibility instrument to supplement the financing available in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2017, beyond the ceilings of heading 4 to provide the financing for the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD).

CONTENT: within the framework of the Union’s 2017 general budget, the Commission proposes to mobilise the flexibility instrument to provide EUR 275 million in commitment and payment appropriations in heading 4 of the MFF (Global Europe). This amount shall be used to provide the provisioning of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Guarantee fund.