Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union 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: 2005-06-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, Slovakia, budgetary procedure, commitment of expenditure, fund (EU), interinstitutional agreement, natural disaster

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 6.6.2005 
COM(2005) 247 final 

Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the mobilisation of the European Union 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) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  7 November 20021  provides  for  mobilisation  of  the 
European Union Solidarity Fund through a flexibility mechanism within an annual ceiling of 
one billion euros  over  and  above  the  relevant  headings  of  the  financial  perspective.  The 
eligibility  criteria  for  the  Fund  are  set  out  in  detail  in  Council  Regulation  (EC) 
No 2012/2002.2 

According to the request for assistance from the Fund made by Slovakia, which was hit by a 
storm, the estimated damage was: 

Slovakia 
Total 

Direct damage 
EUR 5 667 578 
EUR 5 667 578 

After assessing this request3, given the maximum possible grant from the Fund as well as the 
scope  for  reallocating  appropriations  under  the  relevant  heading  for  additional  expenditure, 
the Commission is proposing that EUR 5 667 578 be provided from the Solidarity Fund, to be 
allocated under heading 3 of the financial perspective. 

The  Commission  will  present  an  amending  budget  in  order  to  enter  specific  commitment 
appropriations in the 2005 budget, as required by point 4 of the Interinstitutional Agreement 
of 7 November 2002. 

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2 
3 

J C 283, 20.11.2002, p. 1. 
J L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3. 
Memorandum  to  the  Commission  analysing  the  request  made  by  Slovakia  to  mobilise  the  European 
Union Solidarity Fund. 

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Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the mobilisation of the European Union 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 
Fund4  supplementing  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  6 May 1999  on  budgetary  discipline  and 
improvement of the budgetary procedure, and in particular point 3 thereof, 

Having  regard  to  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 2012/2002  of  11 November 2002  establishing  the 
European Union Solidarity Fund5, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

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

Slovakia  submitted  an  application  to  mobilise  the  Fund  on  24 January 2005,  following  a 
disaster caused by a storm. 

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

The  storm  disaster  in  Slovakia  in  November 2004  fulfils  the  criteria  for  mobilising  the 
European Union Solidarity Fund, 

4 
5 

J C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1. 
J L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3. 

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HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

The European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR  5 667 578 in 
commitment appropriations from the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 
2005. 

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 

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