C_2018356EN.01015701.xml

P8_TA(2017)0452

Mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2017

European Parliament resolution of 30 November 2017 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision (EU) 2017/344 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2017 (COM(2017)0900 — C8-0408/2017 — 2017/2265(BUD))

(2018/C 356/34)

The European Parliament,

—	having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2017)0900 — C8-0408/2017),

—	having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (1), and in particular Article 13 thereof,

—	having regard to 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 (2), and in particular point 14 thereof,

—	having regard to the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 18 November 2017 (A8-0359/2017) in the context of the conciliation on the 2018 draft general budget,

—	having regard to Decision (EU) 2017/344 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2017 (3),

—	having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0372/2017),

A.	whereas the European Parliament and the Council mobilised the Contingency Margin in 2017 in the amount of EUR 1 906,1 million above the commitment ceilings of Heading 3 (Security and Citizenship) and heading 4 (Global Europe);

whereas, within this amount, the European Parliament and the Council decided to offset EUR 575,0 million against the unallocated margin under Heading 2 (Sustainable Growth: Natural Resources) in 2017 as well as EUR 507,3 million, EUR 570,0 million and EUR 253,9 million against the unallocated margins under Heading 5 (Administration) in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively;

whereas the Conciliation Committee convened for the adoption of the 2018 budget subsequently agreed to adjust the abovementioned offsetting of the Contingency Margin in order to decrease by EUR 252,0 million the amount offset in Heading 5 in 2018 and introduce a corresponding offset in Heading 5 in 2020;

Takes note of the Commission’s proposal, as part of the agreement on the 2018 budget, to revise the offsetting of the contingency margin mobilised in 2017 in order to increase the overall commitments margin available in 2018; regrets the excessive focus of some Member States on the available margins below the MFF ceilings, often disregarding the flexibilities offered by the special instruments;

Underlines that, even without a revised offsetting, the overall commitments margin in the agreed 2018 budget would already stand at EUR 1 348,3 million whereas more than EUR 900 million are still available under the Flexibility Instrument and the Global Margin for Commitments (GMC); points out that a further EUR 1,2 billion should become available under the GMC and the Flexibility Instrument in the course of 2018;

Takes note that such a revision of the offsetting, while not essential, releases EUR 252 million of additional margin in 2018 instead of 2020, thereby providing additional flexibility at an earlier stage under this MFF;

Regrets that the European Parliament and the Council have to resort to splitting the concerned offsetting under Heading 5 between 2018 and 2020 in order to provide the EU budget with the flexibility needed in 2018; expresses concern over the consequent reduction in the margin of Heading 5 that this manoeuvre will bring in 2020; points out that the adoption of such an off-limit approach is a clear signal that the EU budget is not being furnished with the indispensable resources for carrying out the policies and programmes of the Union;

Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884.

(2) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 50, 28.2.2017, p. 57–58.