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: 2006-03-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Bulgaria, EU aid, Romania, budgetary procedure, commitment of expenditure, flood, fund (EU)

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 10.3.2006 
COM(2006) 114 final 

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 
EUR 1 billion,  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 Bulgaria, Romania and Austria 
which were affected by severe floods between April and August 2005, total estimates of the 
damage caused are as follows: 

Bulgaria: Floods 
May 2005 
Bulgaria: Floods 
August 2005 
Romania: Floods 
April/May 2005 
Romania: Floods 
July/August 2005 
Austria: Floods 
August 2005 
Total 

Direct damage (in EUR)
222 279 548 

237 446 248

489 529 837

1 049 681 003

591 943 573

2 590 880 209

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 106 357 627,  to  be  allocated  under  heading  3  of 
the financial perspective. 

The Commission will present an amending budget (AB) in order to enter in the 2006 budget 
specific  commitment  and  payment  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, 20.11.2002, p. 1 
OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3 
Communication  to  the  Commission  on  two  applications  to  mobilise  the  European  Union  Solidarity 
Fund introduced by Bulgaria in the case of severe floods in May and August 2005 and Communication 
to the Commission on three applications to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund introduced by 
Romania  and  Austria  in  the  case  of  severe  floods  in  April/May  and  July/August  2005  setting  out  the 
analysis of the Commission of the requests. 

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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) 

(4) 

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 EUR 1 billion. 

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

Bulgaria,  Romania  and  Austria  submitted  applications  to  mobilise  the  Fund, 
concerning five disasters caused by flooding. 

4 
5 
6 

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

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HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

Article 1 

For  the  general  budget  of  the  European  Union  for  the  financial  year  2006,  the  European 
Union  Solidarity  Fund  shall  be  mobilised  to  provide  the  sum  of  EUR  106 357 627  in 
commitment and payment 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 

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