EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/768

(2004/C 78 E/0818)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2940/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Council

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Allocations from the Solidarity Fund

Following the ‘Prestige’ disaster, the European Parliament adopted two resolutions calling on the Commission ‘as a matter of urgency, to consider using all the necessary financial instruments to tackle the economic, social and environmental consequences and assist the economic sectors affected’ and demanding ‘the immediate adoption of measures to alleviate the damaged occasioned to those affected, through use of the Solidarity Fund’ (1) and to assist ‘the people in economic sectors affected by the oil pollution and restore the environment of the regions concerned’ (2).

Commissioner Barnier's reply to my question E-3659/02 (3) on 26 February 2003 stated that the Commission had received the formal request from the Spanish authorities on 14 January 2003 for mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide help with the clean-up costs of the oil slick damage to the Galician coastline caused by the sinking of the ‘Prestige’.

The Commission recalled that the Solidarity Fund was set up to provide assistance principally in the event of natural disasters and that it cannot be used to provide immediate financial assistance if the fairly specific qualifying criteria outlined in the Regulation are met.

On 23 September, Community institution representatives including Budgets Commissioner Schreyer and Council President Magri agreed to encourage mobilising the Solidarity Fund for three Member States: Spain, Italy and Portugal. The agreement reached signed EUR 8,6 million to the Spanish regions affected by the ‘Prestige’ disaster, EUR 47,6 million to the Italian regions recently hit by earthquakes, and EUR 48,5 million to counteract the effects of the criminally-started forest fires in Portugal.

What estimates does the Council have as to the economic damage caused by these three disasters?

What amounts have the governments of Spain, Portugal and Italy respectively asked the EU to provide from the Solidarity Fund to tackle the consequences of these disasters?

Why are the regions affected by the ‘Prestige’ disaster receiving less than one-fifth of what is to be received by the regions which suffered earthquakes in Italy and forest fires in Portugal?

Reply

(4 March 2004)

First of all the Council points out to the Honourable Parliamentarian that of the three disasters referred in the question only one, namely the forest fires in Portugal, can be considered as a major disaster in the meaning of regulation 2012/2002 establishing the European Solidarity Fund, as indeed in this case the damage sustained is higher than 0,6 % of GNI. This is not the case for the damages having resulted from the ‘Prestige’ oil spill nor for those caused by the recent earthquakes in Italy. Therefore, in these two last cases the possible intervention by the Solidarity Fund is in any event limited by the maximum percentage of 7,5 % of the total annual amount for assistance under the Fund, which is available for assistance under this specific heading for all damages caused by extraordinary regional disasters in a given year.

Furthermore, it should be pointed out that in the case of the damages caused by the ‘Prestige’ oil spill, a total amount of EUR 400 million has been made available from other Community instruments, such as in particular the Regional Fund and the Cohesion Fund, whereas in the case of the Italian earthquakes no intervention from the Structural Fund has been provided.

(1) Texts Adopted', 19.12.2002 - P5_TA(2002)0629.

(2) Texts Adopted', 21.11.2002 - P5_TA(2002)0575.

(3) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 125.