The European Parliament adopted by 520 votes to 53, with 67 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2016 of the European Union for the financial year 2016: Update of appropriations to reflect the latest developments on migration and security issues, reduction of payment and commitment appropriations as a result of the Global Transfer, extension of EFSI, modification of the staff establishment plan of Frontex and update of revenue appropriations (Own resources).
In brief, draft amending budget No 4/2016 (DAB 4/2016):
On the expenditure side, with a reduction of EUR 14.7 million across several budget lines under heading 2 Sustainable Growth: natural resources, the net impact of DAB 4/2014 on the expenditure side of the 2016 budget is an increase of EUR 225.4 million in commitment appropriations.
On the revenue side, DAB 4/2016 also includes adjustments linked to the revision of the forecast of Traditional Own Resources (i.e. customs duties and sugar sector levies), value-added tax (VAT) and gross national income (GNI) bases, and the budgeting of the relevant UK corrections and their financing.
Parliament expressed serious concerns over the payment surplus of EUR 7 284.3 million, which is the result of major delays in the implementation of EU programmes under shared management and paves the way for an important accumulation of payment requests towards the end of the current MFF.
Mobilisation of the Contingency Margin: it agreed with the reinforcements in heading 3 via the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin, as well as the frontloading of the reinforcement of the Frontex establishment plan. It welcomed in particular the partial replenishment of the AMIF, but is concerned by the fact that, despite a high rate of budgetary execution based on Member States national programmes, only a few relocations of refugees have actually taken place to date.
Parliament also agreed with the frontloading of EFSI provided the redeployment from CEF is duly compensated in 2018. It clarified that this frontloading does not pre-empt the final financing plan of the new proposal for a prolongation of EFSI which is to be decided in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure.
Parliament also noted with concern the expected shortfall of revenues, estimated at EUR 1.8 billion, due to the depreciation of the British Pound against the Euro. It noted the Commissions intention to use the revenues provided by additional fines in order to cover that shortfall.
Lastly, Parliament approved the Council position on Draft Amending budget No 4/2016.