WRITTEN QUESTION E-2941/03 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. Allocations from the Solidarity Fund.
Date: 2003-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financial instrument, Italy, Portugal, Spain, aid system, distribution of EU funding, financial aid, natural disaster

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/175

(PES).
EURES is basically a co-operation network between national Public Employment Services
They provide input to the EURES site, including links to the media in the Member States. Following the
principle of subsidiarity, specific arrangements with national media are usually made by the respective PES
of each Member State. However, the Commission (EURESco) strongly encourages the PES to take all
possible measures to promote the network and its site.

In the first two weeks, following the launching of the new EURES portal on 19 September, the number of
visitors was 150 000 compared to 256 800 for the whole month of September 2003 and 206 000 for the
whole month of August 2003.

Apart from a few minor technical problems, occurring only in the first days, such as long response times
from the server, no difficulties or problems were detected.

The use of the EURES site is well spread among the Member States, but there is a substantial proportion of
visitors where the country of residence cannot be identified. Provisional statistics on visitors coming from
specific countries for September 2003 are as follows: Italy 10,41 %; Germany 6,86 %; Belgium 5,03 %;
Netherlands 3,43 %.

The Commission does not have any specific figures available on the proportion of ‘first time job seekers’
among EURES users, since such a question is not asked of the users. Because the younger age groups tend
to be more mobile across borders, it is likely, however, that they constitute a significant part of EURES
users.

(2004/C 70 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2941/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(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.

C 70 E/176

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

What estimates does the Commission 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?

‘Texts adopted’, 19.12.2002 (cid:1) P5_TA(2002) 0629.
‘Texts adopted’, 21.11.2002 (cid:1) P5_TA(2002) 0575.

(1)
(2)
(3) OJ C 161 E, 10.7.2003, p. 125.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

The Commission would like to clarify to the Honourable Member that the Inter-Institutional budget
process of 23 September 2003 in respect of the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund concerns a total of
four applications. The first case relates to the grant assistance of EUR 48 539 000 for the Portuguese
application in respect of forest fires. The second case refers to grant assistance of EUR 8 626 000 for the
Spanish application in respect of the oil spill disaster caused by the sinking of the ‘Prestige’. The third case
refers to grant assistance of EUR 30 826 000 for the Italian application in respect of earthquakes in the
provinces of Campobasso (Molise) and Foggia (Puglia). The fourth case refers to grant assistance of
EUR 16 798 000 for a second Italian application in respect of the Mount Etna eruption in the Province of
Catania in Sicily.

The amount of Solidarity Fund grant assistance awarded to an admissible application is calculated in a
equitable manner depending on the type of disaster, the amount of direct damage, the amount for eligible
operations and the available budget in respect of the type of disaster at the time the Budgetary Authority
proposes the mobilisation of the Fund. The total annual budget which can be mobilised for the Solidarity
Fund is EUR 1 000 million per year. Some 75 % of this amount (i.e. EUR 750 million) can be allocated
before 1 October 2003.

The total estimated direct damage considered eligible under the Solidarity Fund Regulation (1) in respect of
each of the four applications is as follows: Spain EUR 486 000 000, Italy/Molise EUR 1 558 000 000, Italy/
Mount Etna EUR 932 000 000, Portugal EUR 1 227 885 900. It should be noted that these direct damage
figures do not include economic losses such as in the tourist sector etc.

In accordance with the provisions set out in the regulation, the Portuguese application qualified as a major
disaster while the remaining three applications qualified as exceptional regional disasters as defined.

The total annual budget available for exceptional regional disasters is EUR 75 million. Under the
regulation, a maximum of EUR 56 250 000 (75 %) can be granted before 1 October of each year. In order
to respect the overall budgetary constraints the rate applicable for defining the allocations for exceptional
regional disasters is 2,5 % of total direct damage. In order to ensure an equitable treatment of the Italian
and Spanish applications,
it was proposed to apply this rate of 2,5 % and then reduce the grants
proportionally so as to respect the limit set out in the regulation for allocations until the 1 October. Hence
the amounts received by each of these three applications represent the equitable pro ratio percentage of
1,98 % of their respective total direct damage.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund,

OJ L 311, 14.11.2002.