The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002(1), and in particular Article 41 thereof,

–  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017, as definitively adopted on 1 December 2016(2),

–  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(3) (MFF Regulation),

–  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(4),

–  having regard to Council Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom of 26 May 2014 on the system of own resources of the European Union(5),

–  having regard to Draft amending budget No 4/2017, which the Commission adopted on 26 June 2017 (COM(2017)0541),

–  having regard to the position on Draft amending budget No 4/2017 which the Council adopted on 4 September 2017 and forwarded to Parliament on the same day (11813/2017 – C8‑0304/2017),

–  having regard to Rules 88 and 91 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0281/2017),

A.  whereas Draft amending budget No 4/2017 concerns the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 1 196 797 579 in relation to the earthquakes that occurred in Italy between August 2016 and January 2017 in the regions of Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria,

B.  whereas the amount of EUR 30 000 000 was already paid for this EUSF case by means of an advance from the 2016 Union budget,

C.  whereas that mobilisation represents the biggest ever mobilisation of the EUSF,

D.  whereas the purpose of Draft amending budget No 4/2017 is formally to enter the corresponding budgetary adjustment into the 2017 Union budget,

E.  whereas the Commission consequently proposes to amend the 2017 Union budget and to increase Article 13 06 01 'Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy' by EUR 1 166 797 579 both in commitment and payment appropriations,

F.  whereas, while the total amount available for the mobilisation of the EUSF at this stage of the year is EUR 293 971 080 less than the proposed amount, the Commission proposes to cover that difference from the annual amount available in 2018, in line with Article 10(2) of the MFF Regulation; whereas that possibility has never been used before,

G.  whereas the EUSF is a special instrument as defined in the MFF Regulation, and the corresponding commitment and payments appropriations are to be budgeted over and above the MFF ceilings,

H.  whereas the Commission proposes to fully redeploy the necessary payment appropriations within the 2017 Union budget and to replenish the negative reserve activated in Amending Budget No 1/2017 (EUR 70 402 434) from the budget lines for the 2007-2013 structural funds programmes,

1.  Stresses the urgent need to release financial assistance through the EUSF to the regions affected by the natural disasters; notes that creating synergies between all available Union instruments is of paramount importance, ensuring that resources are used effectively for reconstruction activities and all other necessary actions;

2.  Takes note of Draft amending budget No 4/2017, as submitted by the Commission;

3.  Approves the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2017;

4.  Instructs its President to declare that Amending budget No 4/2017 has been definitively adopted and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

5.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Court of Auditors and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1. (2) OJ L 51, 28.2.2017. (3) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. (4) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. (5) OJ L 168, 7.6.2014, p. 105.