REPORT on the proposals for decisions 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
(COM(2003) 431 - C5-0323/2003 - 2003/0166 (ACI),
(COM(2003) 529 - C5-0418/2003 - 2003/0206(ACI))
30 September 2003
Committee on Budgets
Rapporteur: Joan Colom i Naval
PROCEDURAL PAGE
By letter of 17 July 2003 and 29 August 2003 the Commission forwarded to Parliament, pursuant 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, two proposals for decisions of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund (COM(2003) 431 - 2003/0166(ACI) and (COM(2003) 529 - 2003/0206(ACI)).
At the sittings of 1 September 2003 and 4 September 2003 the President of Parliament announced that he had referred these proposals to the Committee on Budgets as the committee responsible (C5-0323/2003 and C5-0418/2003).
The Committee on Budgets had appointed Joan Colom i Naval rapporteur at its meeting of 1 September 2003.
It considered the Commission proposals and the draft report at its meeting of 30 September 2003.
At that meeting it adopted the motion for a resolution unanimously.
The following were present for the vote: Terence Wynn, chairman; Reimer Böge, Anne Elisabet Jensen and Franz Turchi, vice-chairmen; Joan Colom i Naval, rapporteur; Ioannis Averoff, Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg, Paulo Casaca (for Giovanni Pittella), Den Dover, James E.M. Elles, Ilda Figueiredo (for Francis Wurtz), Salvador Garriga Polledo, Neena Gill, Catherine Guy-Quint, Jutta D. Haug, María Esther Herranz García, Ian Stewart Hudghton, Constanze Angela Krehl, John Joseph McCartin, Jan Mulder, Juan Andrés Naranjo Escobar, Joaquim Piscarreta, Guido Podestà, Esko Olavi Seppänen (for Chantal Cauquil), Kyösti Tapio Virrankoski, Ralf Walter, Brigitte Wenzel-Perillo.
The report was tabled on 30 September 2003.
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
on the proposals for decisions 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
(COM(2003) 431 - C5-0323/2003 - 2003/0166(ACI) and (COM(2003) 529 - C5-0418/2003 - 2003/0206(ACI))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council presented by the Commission (COM(2003) 431 - C5‑0323/2003),
– having regard to the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council presented by the Commission (COM(2003) 529 - C5‑0418/2003),
– having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure[1],
– 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 and the conditions governing the resort to it[2],
– having regard to the Council regulation establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[3],
– having regard to its resolution of 10 October 2002 on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[4],
– having regard to the results of the trialogue of 23 September 2003,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A5-0315/2003),
A. Whereas the European Union has set up the appropriate institutional and budgetary instruments to cover the victims of damage caused by major, natural disasters,
B. Whereas Italy and Spain have introduced a request to cover the damage resulting from the sinking of the Prestige oil tanker, an earthquake in Molise and Apulia, and the eruption of Mount Etna at the end of 2002,
C. Whereas Portugal has introduced a request to cover the damage caused by the fires resulting from the exceptional drought of summer 2003,
1. Calls on the Commission to present a concise quantitative and qualitative assessment of the initial instances of Fund intervention, and particularly the implementation criteria according to Article 12 of the respective Council Regulation, so that the European Parliament can evaluate the Fund’s operation ;
2. Notes that the damage caused by the natural disasters could have been wholly or partly prevented and should give incentives for the development and implementation of prevention policies and adequate legislation on conservation and appropriate land use;
Concerning the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council relating to
the damage caused by the Prestige oil tanker, by the earthquake in Molise and by the eruption
of Mount Etna (COM(2003) 431 - C5‑0323/2003),
3. Wonders whether the long presentation deadlines for certain requests for assistance are due to excessively complex provisions in the Fund’s regulations, or to poor coordination between national and Community administrations; asks the Commission therefore for information on these time lags;
Concerning the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council relating to
the fires in Portugal (COM(2003) 529 - C5‑0418/2003),
4. Calls on the Commission to report on the use of existing Community subsidies for the protection of the Community’s woodlands;
5. Asks the Council to agree the demands of European Parliament on the Forest-Focus programme currently under conciliation;
6. Approves the decisions annexed to this resolution on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund in accordance with 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;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including the annexes, to the Council and Commission.
ANNEX 1
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 procedure[5], and in particular point 3 thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) N° 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[6],
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) The European Union has created a European Union Solidarity Fund (the "Fund") to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters;
(2) The Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of € 1 billion;
(3) Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 contains the provisions whereby the Fund may be mobilised;
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
For the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2003, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the sum of 56.250 million euros in commitment appropriations.
Article 2
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
Done at Brussels,
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President
ANNEX 2
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 procedure[7], and in particular point 3 thereof,
Having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) N° 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[8],
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) The European Union has created a European Union Solidarity Fund (the "Fund") to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters.
(2) Portugal submitted an application to mobilise the Fund on 13 August 2003, concerning a fire-related disaster.
(3) The Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of € 1 billion.
(4) The fire-related disaster in Portugal meets the conditions to mobilise the Fund;
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
For the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2003, the European
Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the sum of 48.539 million euros in
commitment appropriations.
Article 2
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels,
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President