EUROPEAN
COMMISSION

Brussels, 14.9.2016
COM(2016) 607 final

Proposal for a
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
amending Decision (EU) 2015/435 on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
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CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL

The European Parliament and the Council decided on 17 December 2014 to mobilise the
Contingency margin in 2014 in order to react to unforeseen circumstances that had arisen
after the multiannual financial framework (MFF) payment ceiling for 2014 was first
established in February 2013 and to complement the payment appropriations in the general
budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014 above the payment ceiling.
The Decision offsets the amount mobilised in 2014 against the margins under the payment
ceilings for the years 2018 to 2020. The Draft Budget for 2017 shows a large margin available
under the 2017 payment ceiling, whilst the mid-term payments forecast until 2020, presented
by the Commission in the context of the MFF mid-term review1, foresees a mounting pressure
on payment ceilings for the years 2018-2020. The Commission, therefore, proposes to amend
the above mentioned Decision by offsetting the amount mobilised in 2014 against the margins
available under the payment ceiling in 2017.
When mobilising the Contingency margin in 2014, the institutions included an amount of
EUR 350 million in the mobilisation decision but without this amount being offset, pending
an agreement on the treatment of payments of special instruments, and invited the
Commission to present a proposal in a timely manner. The mid-term payments forecast shows
that the sufficiency of payment ceilings depends on an agreement confirming that payment
appropriations related to special instruments are entered into the budget over and above the
ceilings the same way as the commitments from which they stem. It is, therefore, proposed
not to offset this amount.

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COM(2016)603 of 14.09.2016.

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Proposal for a
DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
amending Decision (EU) 2015/435 on the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
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 management2, and in particular the second
subparagraph of point 14 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)

Article 13 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/20133 has established a
Contingency Margin of up to 0,03 % of the Gross National Income of the Union.

(2)

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013, the
Commission had calculated the absolute amount of the Contingency Margin for 20144.

(3)

By Decision (EU) 2015/4355, the European Parliament and the Council mobilised the
Contingency Margin in 2014 to allow the financing over and above the payment
ceiling of EUR 3 168 233 715. An amount of EUR 350 million in payment
appropriations was included in the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin pending an
agreement on the treatment of payments for special instruments. 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.

(4)

Payment appropriations related to the use of the special instruments are entered in the
budget over and above the relevant payment ceilings of the multiannual financial
framework. As a consequence the mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in 2014 is
only necessary for a total amount of EUR 2 818 233 715 in payment appropriations,
with no need to include and offsett the additional amount of EUR 350 million.

(5)

According to the medium-term payment forecast presented in the context of the MidTerm Review, pressure on the annual payment ceilings in the years 2018-2020 is to be
expected.

(6)

The draft budget for the year 2017 shows a margin below the payment ceiling of EUR
9,6 billion, allowing for the offsetting of the full amount mobilised in 2014.

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OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.
Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual
financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884).
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 20 December
2013 on the technical adjustment of the financial framework for 2014 in line with movements in GNI
(COM(2013) 928).
Decision (EU) 2015/435 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2014 on the
mobilisation of the Contingency Margin (OJ L 72, 17.3.2015, p. 4).

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(7)

Decision (EU) 2015/435 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Decision (EU) 2015/435 is amended as follows:
(1)

Article 1 is replaced by the following:
"Article 1

For the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2014, the Contingency
Margin shall be mobilised in the sum of EUR 2 818 233 715 in payment appropriations over
and above the payment ceiling of the multiannual financial framework.";
(2)

Article 2 is replaced by the following:
"Article 2

The sum of EUR 2 818 233 715 shall be offset against the margin under the payment ceiling
for the year 2017.".
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day of its publication in the Official
Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament
The President

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For the Council
The President

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