The European Parliament adopted by 544 votes to 18, with 14 abstentions, a resolution approving, unamended, the proposal for a decision to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument in order to finance part of the European Economic Recovery Plan as well as the decommissioning of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria.
In concrete terms, the decommissioning of the Kozloduy will continue after 2009 and require financing of EUR 300 million for the period 2010-2013. The two arms of the budgetary authority decided at the conciliation meeting of 18 November 2009 to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to cover the necessary amount (see BUD 2009/2002).
The two arms of the budgetary authority agreed to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to complement the financing in the 2010 budget in the field of energy in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan, beyond the ceiling of subheading 1a, of:
· EUR 120 million towards the financing of projects in the field of energy;
· EUR 75 million for the decommissioning of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.
Parliament notes that, despite the redeployment of funds from the 2009 and the 2010 margins, the ceiling of sub-heading 1a did not allow for an adequate financing of the EERP and the decommissioning of the Kozloduy power plant. It welcomes, therefore, the agreement reached during the conciliation on the use of the Flexibility Instrument for these purposes for a total amount of EUR 195 million.
Parliament, nevertheless, deplores the fact that the Commission presented the financing needs for Kozloduy only in Letter of amendment No 2/2010 (i.e. after Parliament's first reading). It considers that the late arrival of the proposal, which created an additional pressure on subheading 1a, considerably affected the dynamics of the negotiations on the 2010 budget and Parliament's ability to pursue its political priorities. However, it considers it essential to stick to the political commitments and thus to continue financing the decommissioning of Kozloduy in 2010.
MEPs point out that further financing of Kozloduy in 2011-2013 should be without prejudice to the financing of the existing multi-annual programmes and actions.
Parliament approved the decision annexed to this resolution with the aim of mobilising the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 195 million for 2010.