Decision (EU) 2020/546 on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak

What it is

to amend Decision (EU) 2020/265 as regards adjustments to the amounts mobilised from the Flexibility Instrument for 2020 to be used for migration, refugee inflows and security threats, for immediate measures in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak and for reinforcement of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council. BACKGROUND: the Flexibility Instrument is intended to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more other headings of the general budget of the Union. The ceiling on the annual amount available for the Flexibility Instrument is EUR 600 million (2011 prices), as laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 , increased, where applicable, by lapsed amounts made available. On 27 November 2019, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2020/265 mobilising the Flexibility Instrument to provide the amount of EUR 778.1 in commitment appropriations in heading 3 (Security and citizenship) as proposed by the Commission (Decision (EU) 2020/265). The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. Parliament approved the annex attached to the resolution in which it amended the Commission proposal. It called for the Flexibility Instrument to be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 243 039 699 in commitment appropriations in heading 3 (Security and Citizenship). This amount shall be used to finance immediate measures to address the current health crisis in the European Union resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on the expected payment profile, Parliament decided that the payment appropriations corresponding to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument shall be estimated as follows: PURPOSE: to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument for 2020 to finance budgetary measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2020/546 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument to finance immediate budgetary measures in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. CONTENT: following the agreement between the European Parliament and the Council, this Decision to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument has been adopted. The Flexibility Instrument is intended to allow the financing of clearly identified expenditure which could not be financed within the limits of the ceilings available for one or more other headings. The ceiling on the annual amount available for the Flexibility Instrument is EUR 600 million (2011 prices), as laid down in Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 , increased, where applicable, by lapsed amounts made available. In order to address the challenges in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, the mobilisation of Instrument is a matter of urgency. For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020, the Flexibility Instrument shall be mobilised to…

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