The European Parliament adopted by 508 votes to 89, with 45 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2017.
Having examined all possibilities for financing additional and unforeseen commitment needs, the Commission proposed in its Draft Budget to mobilise the Contingency Margin for an amount of EUR 1 164.4 million so as to complement the commitment appropriations related to expenditure in heading 3 in the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017, over and above the commitment ceiling of EUR 2 578 million in current prices.
Parliament noted that additional financial needs are likely to arise in 2017, in relation to the internal security crises and the current humanitarian, migratory and refugee challenges. It acknowledged that these needs could significantly exceed the funding available under heading 3.
It recalled that no more margin is available under the ceiling of heading 3. Therefore, it called on the Commission to clarify if and how additional funds could be possibly mobilised using the Contingency Margin to respond to possible additional financial needs for heading 3 during the course of 2017.
The Commission revised this mobilisation proposal in the framework of Amending Letter 1/2017 so as to cover also expenditure under heading 4.
The Conciliation Committee convened for the 2016 budget agreed to the mobilisation of the Contingency margin at a level of EUR 1 906.2 million for heading 3 and heading 4 and to offset EUR 575 million against the unallocated margin under heading 2 Sustainable Growth: Natural Resources in 2017, EUR 507.3 million in 2017, EUR 570 million in 2018 and EUR 253.9 million in 2019 against the unallocated margins under heading 5 Administration.
Parliament approved the decision annexed to this resolution.