(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2017)0825),

–  having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 175 and 197(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C8‑0433/2017),

–  having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 14 March 2018(1),

–  having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 3 April 2018(2),

–  having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 69f(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 18 July 2018 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development and also the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A8-0227/2018),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Approves the joint statement of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed to this resolution;

3.  Takes note of the Commission statement annexed to this resolution;

4.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

5.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ C 237, 6.7.2018, p. 53. (2) OJ C 247, 13.7.2018, p. 54.

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EU) 2018/1671.)

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMISSION

As regards financing the increase of the financial envelope for the Structural Reform Support Programme and without prejudice to the powers of the budgetary authority, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have agreed as follows:

1.  EUR 40 million will be financed through the budget line of the SRSP located in Heading 1b (13.08.01) of the MFF (Economic, social and territorial cohesion) by mobilising the Global margin for commitments in accordance with Article 14 of the MFF Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 in the framework of the budgetary procedure pursuant to Article 314 TFEU;

2.  EUR 40 million will be financed through the budget line of the SRSP located in Heading 2 (13.08.02) of the MFF (Sustainable Growth: Natural Resources) by redeployments other than technical assistance and Rural Development within this Heading and without having recourse to the margins. The exact sources for such redeployments will be further specified in due course having regard to the negotiations of the budgetary procedure for the 2019 budget.

STATEMENT BY THE COMMISSION

(to be published in the C series of the OJ)

The Commission will identify and propose redeployments of EUR 40 million in Heading 2 of the MFF (Sustainable Growth: Natural Resources) in the amending letter to the draft general budget 2019.

The Commission intends to propose the mobilisation of the Global Margin for Commitments in accordance with Article 14 of the MFF Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 in the framework of the budgetary procedure for 2020 pursuant to Article 314 TFEU.