Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund according to point 3 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund, supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure
Date: 2003-08-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, EU financial instrument, Portugal, commitment of expenditure, fire

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 27.8.2003
COM(2003) 529 final

2003/0206 (COD)

Proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund according to point 3 of the
Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European Parliament, the
Council and the Commission on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund,
supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline
and improvement of the budgetary procedure

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  7  November  20021  allows  for  the  mobilisation  of  the
Fund through a flexibility mechanism, within the annual ceiling of 1 billion euros, over  and
above the relevant headings of the financial perspective.  The  conditions  of  eligibility  to  the
Fund are detailed in the Council Regulation establishing the EUSF2.

On  the  basis  of  the  Portuguese  application  to  the  EUSF  for  the  fire  related  disaster  in
Portugal, received on 13 August 2003, the estimate of the direct damage is as follows:

Total direct damage
946.489 million euros

Fire related
disaster in
Portugal

In  the  light  of  the  examination  of  this  application3,  and  considering  the  maximum  possible
grant  from  the  Fund  as  well  as  the  scope  for  reallocating  appropriations  under  the  heading
requiring  additional  expenditure,  the  Commission  proposes  to  mobilise  the  EU  Solidarity
Fund  for  a  total  amount  of  31.655  million  euros,  to  be  allocated  under  heading  3  of  the
financial perspective.

The Commission will present a preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) in order to enter
in  the  2003  budget  specific  commitment  appropriations,  as  requested  in  Point  4  of  the
Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002.

1

2

3

OJ C 283 of 20.11.2002, p. 1.
OJ L 311 of 14.11.2002, p. 3.
Communication to the Commission from Mr Barnier, Mrs Schreyer and Mr Fischler on an application
introduced by Portugal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund for the fire related disaster in
Portugal.

2

                                                
2003/0206 (COD)

Proposal for a

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund according to point 3 of the
Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European Parliament, the
Council and the Commission on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund,
supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline
and improvement of the budgetary procedure

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European
Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  on  the  financing  of  the  European  Union
Solidarity Fund, supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary
discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure4, and in particular point 3 thereof,

Having  regard  to  the  Council  Regulation  (EC)  N°  2012/2002  of  11  November  2002
establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund5,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The  European  Union  has  created  a  European  Union  Solidarity  Fund  (the  "Fund")  to
show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters.

Portugal submitted an application to mobilise the Fund on 13 August 2003, concerning
a fire-related disaster.

The Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 allows the mobilisation of the
Fund within the annual ceiling of € 1 billion.

(4)

The fire-related disaster in Portugal meets the conditions to mobilise the Fund;

4

5

OJ C 172 of 18.06.1999, p. 1.
OJ L 311 of 14.11.2002, p.3.

3

                                                
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

For  the  general  budget  of  the  European  Union  for  the  financial  year  2003,  the  European
Union  Solidarity  Fund  shall  be  mobilised  to  provide  the  sum  of  31.655  million  euros  in
commitment appropriations.

Article 2

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament
The President

For the Council
The President

4