The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2017)0480 – C8‑0235/2017),

–  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) (MFF Regulation), and in particular Article 11 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 12 thereof,

–  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2017, as adopted on 1 December 2016(3),

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0298/2017),

A.  whereas, after the revision of the MFF Regulation, an annual amount of EUR 676 million in current prices is available under the Flexibility instrument, increased by lapsed amounts from the European Union Solidarity Fund and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, namely EUR 646 million at the end of 2016; whereas an amount of EUR 530 million is already mobilised under the Flexibility instrument in the 2017 budget, thus leaving EUR 792 million available for a further mobilisation;

B.  whereas Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council(4) entered into force on 28 September 2017;

C.  whereas, after having examined all possibilities for re-allocating commitment appropriations under Heading 4 (Global Europe), the Commission has proposed to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 275 million beyond the ceiling of Heading 4 to provide the financing for the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD);

1.  Notes that the 2017 ceiling for Heading 4 does not allow for an adequate financing of the EFSD; reiterates its long-standing position that the financial resources for external action of the Union are not sufficient to cover the needs of a proactive and sustainable external policy;

2.  Agrees therefore with the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 275 million in commitment and payment appropriations;

3.  Reiterates that the mobilisation of this instrument, as provided for in Article 11 of the MFF Regulation, shows, once more, the crucial need for the Union budget to be more flexible;

4.  Reiterates 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;

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) OJ L 51, 28.2.2017. (4) Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 September 2017 establishing the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD), the EFSD Guarantee and the EFSD Guarantee Fund (OJ L 249, 27.9.2017, p. 1).

on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to provide the financing for the European Fund for Sustainable Development

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2018/51.)