The European Parliament adopted by 535 votes to 79, with 31 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 to mobilise, under the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2018, the flexibility instrument to provide the amount of EUR 837 241 199 in commitment appropriations under heading 3 (Security and Citizenship). This amount shall be used to fund measures to address current challenges related to migration, refugee inflows and security threats.
The distribution of the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument are estimated as follows:
In order to allow for the quick use of the funds, it is proposed that this Decision apply from the beginning of the financial year 2018.
As a reminder, the flexibility instrument is intended to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more other headings.
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.
In its resolution, Parliament reiterated that the mobilisation of this instrument showed how crucial it was for the EU budget to be more flexible. It reiterated its long-standing view that the payments stemming from commitments previously mobilised through the flexibility instrument can only be counted over and above the MFF ceilings.