Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund
Date: 2013-10-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Czechia, Germany, Romania, aid to disaster victims, commitment of expenditure, drought, flood, fund (EU), general budget (EU), payment appropriation

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 3.10.2013  
COM(2013) 692 final 

Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  17  May  20061  allows  for  the  mobilisation  of  the 
European Union Solidarity Fund, within an annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion, over and above 
the relevant headings of the financial framework. The conditions of eligibility to the Fund are 
detailed in Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/20022. 

On  the  basis  of  an  application  for  assistance  from  the  Fund  by  Romania  in  relation  to  a 
drought and forest fires in summer 2012, and the applications by Germany, Austria and the 
Czech  Republic  in  relation  to  flooding  in  May  and  June  2013,  the  calculation  of  Solidarity 
Fund aid based on the estimate of total damage caused is as follows: 

Direct 
damage 

Threshold 
(million €) 

Total cost of 
eligible 
operations 

Amount based 
on 2.5% 

Amount based  
on 6% 

Total amount of 
aid proposed 

806 724 312 

735.487 

2 475 689 

18 387 175 

4 274 239 

2 475 689 

8 153 500 000 

3 678.755 

3 289 400 000 

91 968 875 

268 484 700 

360 453 575  

(EUR) 

866 462 000 

1 798.112 

350 334 000  

21 661 550  

637 131 000 

871.618 

416 368 000 

15 928 275  

- 

- 

21 661 550  

15 928 275  

400 519 089 

Disaster 

Romania 
drought 

Germany 
flooding 

Austria 
flooding 

Czech 
Republic 
flooding 

TOTAL 

In  the  light  of  the  examination  of  the  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 400 519 089, to be allocated under heading 3b of 
the financial framework. 

By  presenting  this  proposal  to  deploy  the  Fund,  the  Commission  initiates  the  simplified 
trilogue  procedure,  as  required  by  Point  26  of  the  Inter-institutional  Agreement  of 
17 May 2006, in view of securing the agreement of the two arms of the Budgetary Authority 
on the need to use the Fund and the amount required. The Commission invites each arm of the 
budgetary authority to inform the other arm and the Commission of its intentions. 

In  case  of  disagreement  by  either  of  the  two  arms  of  the  Budgetary  Authority,  a  formal 
trilogue meeting will be convened. 

The  Commission  will  present  a  draft  amending  budget  (DAB)  in  order  to  enter  in  the  2013 
budget  specific  commitment  and  payment  appropriations,  as  requested  in  Point  26  of  the 
Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006. 

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2 
3 

OJ C 139, 14.06.2006, p. 1 
OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3 
Communication  to  the  Commission  C(2013)  6416  on  applications  to  mobilise  the  European  Union 
Solidarity Fund presented by Romania, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. 

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Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  17  May  2006  between  the  European 
Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  on  budgetary  discipline  and  sound  financial 
management4, and in particular point 26 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,6 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

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 17 May 2006 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. 

Romania has submitted an application to mobilise the Fund,  concerning  drought and 
forest fires. 

Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic have submitted applications to mobilise the 
Fund, concerning a flooding disaster. 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

For  the  general  budget  of  the  European  Union  for  the  financial  year  2013,  the  European 
Union  Solidarity  Fund  shall  be  mobilised  to  provide  the  sum  of  EUR 400  519  089  in 
commitment and payment appropriations. 

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5 
6 

OJ C 139, 14.06.2006, p. 1. 
OJ L 311, 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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