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: 2005-09-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Baltic States, EU aid, Sweden, budgetary procedure, commitment of expenditure, fund (EU), interinstitutional agreement, natural disaster

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 08.09.2005 
COM(2005) 401 final 

2005/0170(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) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  7  November  20021  allows  for  the  mobilisation  of  the 
European Union Solidarity 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 Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/20022. 

On  the  basis  of  applications  for  assistance  from  the  Fund  by  Sweden,  Estonia,  Latvia  and 
Lithuania  which  were  affected  by  a  major  storm  on  8  January  2005,  total  estimates  of  the 
damage caused are as follows: 

Sweden 
Estonia 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Total   

Direct damage (in EUR)
2 297 313 252
47 868 000
192 590 000
15 156 395
2 552 927 647

In the light of the examination of these applications3, 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  European  Union 
Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 92 880 830, to be allocated under heading 3 of the 
financial perspective. 

The Commission will present an amending budget (AB) in order to enter in the 2005 budget 
specific  commitment  appropriations,  broken  down  by  beneficiary  country,  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  on  four  applications  introduced  by  Sweden,  Estonia,  Latvia  and 
Lithuania  to  mobilise  the  European  Union  Solidarity  Fund  in  the  case  of  a  major  wind  storm  on 
8 January 2005 setting out the analysis of the Commission of the requests. 

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2005/0170(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 Council Regulation (EC) N° 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing 
the European Union Solidarity Fund5, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,6 

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. 

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

Regulation  (EC)  No  2012/2002  contains  the  provisions  whereby  the  Fund  may  be 
mobilised, 

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

Article 1 

For  the  general  budget  of  the  European  Union  for  the  financial  year  2005,  the  European 
Union  Solidarity  Fund  shall  be  mobilised  to  provide  the  sum  of  EUR  92 880 830  in 
commitment appropriations. 

4 
5 
6 

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

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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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