EN Official Journal of the European Union C 294/86

P8_TA(2014)0099

Mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument — financing of the Cypriot Structural Funds programmes

European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2014 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument, in accordance with point 12 of 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 (COM(2014)0349 — C8-0022/2014 — 2014/2039(BUD))

(2016/C 294/36)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2014)0349 — C8-0022/2014),

— 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 new draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015, which the Commission adopted on 28 November 2014 (COM(2014)0723),

— having regard to the position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015, which the Council adopted on 12 December 2014 and forwarded to Parliament the same day (16739/2014 — C8-0287/2014),

— having regard to its position adopted on 17 December 2014 (3) on the 2015 draft general budget,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A8-0071/2014),

A. whereas after having examined all possibilities for re-allocating commitment appropriations under sub-heading 1b, it appears necessary to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument for commitment appropriations;

B. whereas the Commission has proposed to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument, over and above the MFF ceilings, to complement the financing in the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015 for EUR 79,8 million in commitment appropriations in relation to the additional allocation from the Structural Funds to Cyprus, by a total amount of EUR 100 million for the year 2015;

1. Notes that, despite contained reinforcements in commitment appropriations on a limited number of budget items, the 2015 ceiling of sub-heading 1b does not allow for an adequate financing of important and urgent political priorities of the Union;

2. Agrees therefore with the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument and amends the Commission proposal to finance the additional allocation for the Cypriot Structural Funds programmes under sub-heading 1b up to the amount of EUR 83,26 million;

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

4. Reiterates its long-standing view that, without prejudice to the possibility for payment appropriations to be mobilised for specific budget lines through the Flexibility Instrument without prior mobilisations in commitments, the payments stemming from commitments previously mobilised through the Flexibility Instrument can only be counted over and above the 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) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2014)0100.