European Parliament resolution of 27 November 2019 on the 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 Greece (COM(2019)0496 — C9-0144/2019 — 2019/2137(BUD))
Date: 2019-11-27
Institutions: Committee on Budgets, Committee on Regional Development, European Parliament
Subjects: Crete, European Union Solidarity Fund, Greece, aid to disaster victims, bad weather, commitment of expenditure, emergency aid, financial aid, flood, general budget (EU)








C_2021232EN.01007801.xml










16.6.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 232/78






P9_TA(2019)0068
Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece
European Parliament resolution of 27 November 2019 on the 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 Greece (COM(2019)0496 — C9-0144/2019 — 2019/2137(BUD))
(2021/C 232/21)

The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2019)0496 — C9-0144/2019),










—


having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (1),










—


having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 (2), and in particular Article 10 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 management (3), and in particular point 11 thereof,










—


having regard to the letter from the Committee on Regional Development,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0040/2019),












1.


Welcomes the decision as a sign of the Union’s solidarity with Union citizens and regions hit by natural disasters;












2.


Recalls that the European Union Solidarity Fund (the ‘Fund’) aims to respond rapidly and efficiently to emergency situations as an expression of solidarity; underlines in this regard that internal procedures for the final release of financial assistance through the Fund should not result in any kind of delays, since natural disasters usually cause extensive damage that seriously interferes with people’s everyday lives and local economies;












3.


Takes note that, according to the Commission’s explanatory memorandum, EUR 265 252 381 of the allocation for the Fund remained unused in 2018 and was carried over and that EUR 557 530 278 remains available for 2019;












4.


Stresses the urgent need to release financial assistance through the Fund to all regions affected by natural disasters in the Union in 2019;












5.


Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;












6.


Stresses the need to release the remaining amount as soon as possible and within a reasonable timeframe, as recovery operations in Crete should be concluded immediately due to severe weather conditions that tend to occur more and more often in Crete and other regions of Greece;












7.


Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;












8.


Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.






(1)  OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.

(2)  OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884.

(3)  OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.





ANNEX


DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL


on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece


(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2020/28.)