27.6.2018   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 224/219

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having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0678 — C8-0420/2016),

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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,

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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,

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having regard to the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017, which the Commission adopted on 18 July 2016 (COM(2016)0300), as amended by Letter of amendment No 1/2017 (COM(2016)0679),

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having regard to the position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017, which the Council adopted on 12 September 2016 and forwarded to Parliament on 14 September 2016 (11900/2016 — C8-0373/2016),

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having regard to its position of 26 October 2016 on the 2017 draft general budget (3),

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having regard to the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 17 November 2016 (14635/2016 — C8-0470/2016),

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A8-0346/2016),

A.

whereas 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;

B.

whereas additional financial needs are likely to arise in 2017, in relation to the internal security crises and the current humanitarian, migratory and refugee challenges; acknowledges that these needs could significantly exceed the funding available under heading 3; recalls that no more margin is available under the ceiling of heading 3; therefore, requests 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;

C.

whereas the Commission revised this mobilisation proposal in the framework of Letter of amendment No 1/2017 so as to also cover expenditure under heading 4;

D.

whereas 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 575,0 million against the unallocated margin under heading 2 Sustainable Growth: Natural Resources in 2016, EUR 507,3 million in 2017, EUR 570,0 million in 2018 and EUR 253,9 million in 2019 against the unallocated margins under heading 5 Administration;

1.

2.

3.