The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0607 – C8-0387/2016),

–  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 Articles 6 and 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 Council agreement in principle of 7 March 2017 on the revision of the multiannual financial framework 2014-2020(3),

–  having regard to Decision (EU) 2015/435 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2014 on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin(4),

–  having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2014 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and the Council on the mobilisation of the Contingency margin in 2014(5),

–  having regard to its resolutions of 6 July 2016 on the preparation of the post electoral revision of the MFF 2014-2020: Parliament’s input ahead the Commission’s proposal(6) and of 26 October 2016 on the mid-term revision of the MFF 2014-2020(7),

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0104/2017),

A.  whereas in 2014 the European Parliament and the Council mobilised the contingency margin in the amount of EUR 3 168 233 715 in payment appropriations; whereas an amount of EUR 350 million was included in the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin pending an agreement on the treatment of payments for special instruments;

B.  whereas it was decided to offset an amount of EUR 2 818 233 715 over the period 2018-2020 and to invite the Commission to present in a timely manner a proposal concerning the remaining amount of EUR 350 million;

C.  whereas, according to the medium-term payment forecast presented in the context of the Mid-term review/revision of the MFF, pressure on the annual payment ceilings in the years 2018-2020 is to be expected;

D.  whereas the budget for the year 2017 shows a margin below the payment ceiling of EUR 9,8 billion, allowing for the offsetting of the full amount mobilised in 2014;

1.  Welcomes the Commission proposal presented as a part of the MFF mid-term review/revision package;

2.  Considers that the offsetting of a total amount of EUR 2 818 233 715 mobilised in 2014 against the margin under payment ceiling for the year 2017 will provide for more flexibility for the second part of the MFF and will help preventing a new payment crisis;

3.  Emphasises that the exclusion of the remaining amount of EUR 350 million from the offsetting confirms Parliament’s long standing position that payment appropriations for special instruments are counted over and above the MFF ceilings;

4.  Welcomes the Council agreement in principle to the annexed decision which is in line with the interpretation of the Parliament;

5.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

6.  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;

7.  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) 7030/2017 and 7031/2017 COR1. (4) OJ L 72, 17.3.2015, p. 4. (5) OJ C 294, 12.8.2016, p. 65. (6) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0309. (7) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0412.

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Decision (EU) 2015/435 on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2017/1331.)