Proposal for a Decision amending 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 framework of the COVID-19 outbreak and for reinforcement of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office

Summary:

Proposal for a Decision published by the European Commission in April 2020 amending Decision (EU) 2020/265 relating to the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument.

Further information:

The European Union adopted a Decision in November 2019 allowing the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of around €778 million for matters relating to Security and Citizenship (Heading 3). In March 2020, the Commission adopted DAB No. 1/2020 to include an increase of €423 million of the commitment appropriations under that Heading to meeting a number of needs. It was proposed that the Global Margin for Commitment (GMC) for an amount of €350 million covered the part of that increase related to migration. The Commission also proposed that the remaining part of the increase was financed by adjusting the amount mobilised from the Flexibility Instrument and to extend the purpose of Decision (EU) 2020/265.

The Commission's DAB No. 2/2020 includes an additional increase of commitment appropriations under Heading 3 for an amount of €3000 million to cover the re-activation of the Emergency Support Instument (ESI) and the reinforcement of the UCPM/RescEU. Given the absence of room for developments under Heading 3 - and in line with a proposal to remove the limitations in the scope of the Flexibility Instrument, DAB No. 2/2020 also includes the proposal to use the GMC for the full amount available under that Instrument to cover this increase.

The proposed mobilisation decision of the Flexibilty Instrument amends Decision (EU) 2020/265  and replaces the amendment tabled together with DAB No 1/2020. This proposal was adopted on 2 April 2020 by the European Commission, as part of a package of measures on mobilising the full extent of the EU Budget to address the COVID-19 outbreak. The Council of the European Union adopted this draft law on 14 April, followed by the European Parliament on 17 April.

• Primary Source

Official

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 14/04/2020: Tackling COVID-19: Council adopts amended EU budget for 2020 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/04/14/tackling-covid-19-council-adopts-amended-eu-budget-for-2020/

European Parliament: Press Release, 17/04/2020: COVID-19: MEPs free up over €3 billion to support EU healthcare sector https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200415IPR77110/

European Commission: Press Release, 17/04/2020: Coronavirus: Commission welcomes Parliament's quick green light for proposed new resources to protect lives and livelihoods https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_685

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