Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Germany
Date: 2016-10-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Budget, European Commission
Subjects: Bavaria, Germany, aid to disaster victims, commitment of expenditure, emergency aid, financial aid, flood, fund (EU), general budget (EU), payment appropriation

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.10.2016  COM(2016) 681 final   Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Germany  
 
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  the  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.  

The  conditions  of  eligibility  to  the  Fund  are  detailed  in  the  Council  Regulation  (EC) 
No 2012/2002 as amended by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and 
of the Council of 15 May 2014 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund.  

On the basis of an application from Germany, the calculation of the aid from the Fund, based 
on the estimate of total damage caused is as follows: 

Disaster 

Direct 
damage 

(million 
EUR) 

Total cost of 
eligible 
operations 

(million 
EUR) 

Applied 
regional 
disaster 
threshold 

[1,5% of GDP] 
(million EUR) 

2,5% of 
direct 
damage  
(EUR) 

6% of direct 
damage 
above 
threshold 

Total amount of 
aid proposed 

(EUR) 

GERMANY 

1 259,005 

94,196 

622,8 

31 475 125 

~ 

31 475 125 

TOTAL 

31 475 125 

In  the  light  of  the  examination  of  the  application2  and  considering  the  maximum  possible 
contribution  from  the  Fund  as  well  as  the  scope  for  reallocating  appropriations,  the 
Commission proposes to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund for a total amount of 
EUR 31 475 125. 

The  Commission  will  present  a  draft  amending  budget  (DAB)  in  order  to  enter  in  the  2016 
budget the specific commitment and payment appropriations.  

In the event of disagreement, a trilogue procedure will be initiated in accordance with 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 management3. 

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2 
3 

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. 
Communication to the Commission C(2016) 6597 of 14.10.2016. 
OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. 

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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 assistance to 
Germany 

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) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing 
the European Union Solidarity Fund4, and in particular Article 4(3) 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) 

(6) 

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  annual  amount  of  EUR 500 000 000  (2011 
prices),  as  laid  down  in  Article  10  of  Council  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom)  No 
1311/20136. 

On  19  August  2016,  Germany  submitted  an  application  to  mobilise  the  Fund, 
following  a  series  of  extremely  intense,  short-lived  cases  of  floods  that  affected  the 
region of Niederbayern in May and June 2016.  

The  application  by  Germany  meets  the  conditions  for  providing  a  financial 
contribution  from  the  Fund,  as  laid  down  in  Article  4  of  Regulation  (EC)  No 
2012/2002. 

The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to 
Germany.  

In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply 
from the date of its adoption, 

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5 
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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HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

For  the  general  budget  of  the  Union  for  the  financial  year  2016,  the  European  Union 
Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the amount of EUR 31 475 125 to Germany, in 
commitment and payment appropriations.  

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 … [the date of its adoption]. 

Done at …, 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

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