Official Journal of the European Union

DECISION (EU) 2021/75 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 25 November 2020

on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Croatia and Poland in relation to a natural disaster and to provide for the payment of advances to Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in relation to a public health emergency

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 Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (1), and in particular Article 4(3) 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 11 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The European Union Solidarity Fund (‘the Fund’) aims to enable the Union to respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner to emergency situations in order to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by major or regional natural disasters or a major public health emergency.

(2) The Fund is not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 500 000 000 (2011 prices), as laid down in Article 10 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 (3).

(3) On 10 June 2020, Croatia submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the earthquake in March 2020 that affected the city of Zagreb and the counties of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje.

(4) On 24 August 2020, Poland submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the floods in June 2020 in Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

(5) By 24 June 2020, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain submitted applications to mobilise the Fund in relation to the major public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. In their applications, all seven Member States requested the payment of an advance on the anticipated contribution from the Fund.

(6) The applications by Croatia and Poland in relation to the natural disasters meet the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002.

(7) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to Croatia and Poland.

(8) To ensure the availability of sufficient budgetary resources in the general budget of the Union for 2020, the Fund should be mobilised for the payment of advances to Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in relation to the major public health emergency.

(9) In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply from the date of its adoption,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised as follows in commitment and payment appropriations in relation to natural disasters: (a) the amount of EUR 683 740 523 shall be provided to Croatia; (b) the amount of EUR 7 071 280 shall be provided to Poland.

Article 2 For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised as follows in commitment and payment appropriations for the payment of advances in relation to a major public health emergency: (a) the amount of EUR 8 462 280 shall be provided to Croatia; (b) the amount of EUR 15 499 409 shall be provided to Germany; (c) the amount of EUR 4 535 700 shall be provided to Greece; (d) the amount of EUR 26 587 069 shall be provided to Hungary; (e) the amount of EUR 23 279 441 shall be provided to Ireland; (f) the amount of EUR 37 528 511 shall be provided to Portugal; (g) the amount of EUR 16 844 420 shall be provided to Spain.

Article 3 This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 25 November 2020.

Done at Brussels, 25 November 2020. For the European Parliament The President D. M. SASSOLI For the Council The President M. ROTH

(1) OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.

(2) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.

(3) 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).