Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2017
Date: 2016-06-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Budget, European Commission
Subjects: aid to disaster victims, budgetary resources, commitment of expenditure, drawing up of the EU budget, emergency aid, financial aid, financial year, fund (EU), general budget (EU), natural disaster

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 30.6.2016  COM(2016) 312 final   Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2017  
 
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013  of 2 December 2013 laying down the 
multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-20201, and in particular Article 10 thereof 
allows for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, within an annual ceiling 
of  EUR 500  000  000   (2011  prices),  over  and  above  the  relevant  headings  of  the  financial 
framework. 

Point  11  of  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement  of  2  December  2013  between  the  European 
Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  on  budgetary  discipline,  on  cooperation  in 
budgetary  matters  and  on  sound  financial  management2  sets  out  the  modalities  for  the 
mobilisation of the Fund. 

The  conditions  of  eligibility  to  the  Fund  are  detailed  in  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 
2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund  3, which 
foresees  that  an  amount  of  up  to  a  maximum  of  EUR 50 000 000  in  both  commitment  and 
payment appropriations shall be included in the budget for the payment of advances. 

The Commission considers it necessary to provide for this mobilisation in order to ensure the 
timely availability of budgetary resources and therefore the Commission proposes to include 
this amount in the Draft Budget 2017. 

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3 

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. 
OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. 
OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3 

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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 to provide for the payment 
of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2017 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) N° 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing 
the European Union Solidarity Fund4, and in particular Article 4a(4) thereof,  

Having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European 
Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission  on  budgetary  discipline,  on  cooperation  in 
budgetary matters  and on sound financial management5, and in particular point 11 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

The  European  Union  Solidarity  Fund  ("the  Fund")  aims  to  enable  the  Union  to 
respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner to emergency situations in order to 
show solidarity with the population of regions struck by natural disasters. 

The Fund is not to exceed a maximum amount of EUR 500 000 000 (2011 prices) as 
laid down in Article 10 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) N° 1311/20136. 

Article  4a(4)  of  Regulation  (EC)  N°2012/2002  provides  that,  when  necessary  in 
order  to  ensure  the  timely  availability  of  budgetary  resources,  the  Fund  may  be 
mobilised  for  an  amount  of  up  to  EUR 50 000 000  for  the  payment  of  advances, 
entering the corresponding appropriations into the general budget of the Union. 

To  ensure  the  timely  availability  of  sufficient  budgetary  resources  in  the  general 
budget of the Union for 2017, the Fund should be mobilised in the amount of EUR 
50 000 000 for the payment of advances. 

In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply 
from 1 January 2017, 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

For  the  general  budget  of  the  Union  for  the  financial  year  2017,  the  European  Union 
Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 50 000 000 in commitment 
and payment appropriations for the payment of advances. 

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6 

OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3 
OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. 
Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual 
financial framework for the years 2014-2020. OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p 884 

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This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union. 

Article 2 

It shall apply from 1 January 2017. 

Done at, 

For the European Parliament  

The President   

For the Council 

The President 

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