PURPOSE: to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the on-going challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2020/265 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the ongoing challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

CONTENT: Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allows 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.

The European Parliament and the Council decided to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 778 074 489 in commitment appropriations in heading 3 (Security and Citizenship) from the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020.

The amounts referred to above shall be used to finance measures to address the ongoing challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

On the basis of the expected payment profile, the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument shall be estimated as follows:

- EUR 407 402 108 in 2020;

- EUR 312 205 134 in 2021;

- EUR 42 336 587 in 2022;

- EUR 16 130 660 in 2023.

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

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 27.2.2020. In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision shall apply from 1.1.2020.

The European Parliament adopted by 558 votes to 62, with 83 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 annexed to this resolution agreeing to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 778 074 489 in commitment appropriations in heading 3 (Security and Citizenship) from the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020.

On the basis of the expected payment profile, the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument shall be estimated as follows:

- EUR 407 402 108 in 2020;

- EUR 312 205 134 in 2021;

- EUR 42 336 587 in 2022;

- EUR 16 130 660 in 2023.

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

PURPOSE: to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures to address the on-going 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 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allows 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 this Council Regulation and 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, after having examined all possibilities for re-allocating appropriations and exhausted any unallocated margin under the expenditure Security and Citizenship (heading 3), the Commission proposes to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument in 2020.

The annual amount available is EUR 600 million (2011 prices) corresponding to EUR 717 million in current prices. Moreover, EUR 202 million is available in the 2019 portion.

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020, the Commission proposes to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to provide the amount of EUR 778 074 489 in commitment appropriations in heading 3 (Security and Citizenship).

This amount shall be used to finance measures to address the ongoing challenges of migration, refugee inflows and security threats.

On the basis of the expected payment profile, the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument have been calculated on the basis of the rules applicable to pre-financing, clearance of pre-financing and final payments for the various types of measures to be financed, and are presented as follows:

- EUR 407 402 108 in 2020;

- EUR 312 205 134 in 2021;

- EUR 42 336 587 in 2022;

- EUR 16 130 660 in 2023.

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