REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management

8.9.2009 - (COM(2009)0308 – C7‑0051/2009 – 2009/2048(BUD))

Committee on Budgets
Rapporteur: Reimer Böge
PR_BUD_Funds

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management

(COM(2009)0308 – C7‑0051/2009 – 2009/2048(BUD))

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2009)0308 – C7‑00051/2009),

–   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 management[1], and in particular point 26 thereof,

–   having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[2],

–   having regard to the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, adopted during the conciliation meeting on 17 July 2008 on the Solidarity Fund,

–   having regard to the results of the trialogue of 7 July 2009,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Committee on Regional Development (A7‑0008/2009),

1.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

2.  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;

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

• [1]  OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.
• [2]  OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.

ANNEX: DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of xxx September 2009

on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management

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 management[1], and in particular point 26 thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[2],

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 17 May 2006 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion.

(3)      Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 contains the provisions whereby the Fund may be mobilised.

(4)      France submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, concerning a disaster caused by a storm.

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

For the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2009, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 109 377 165 in commitment and payment 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

• [1]               OJ C 139, 14.06.2006, p. 1.
• [2]               OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Commission proposes to mobilise the European Solidarity Fund in favour of France on the basis of point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006. The IIA allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion. This is the second proposal to mobilise the Fund in 2009. In 2009, EUR 11,8 million have already been earmarked for the application of Romania, leaving EUR 988,2 million available.

In parallel to this proposal, the Commission has presented a preliminary amending budget (PDAB No 7/2009) in order to enter in the 2009 budget the corresponding commitment and payment appropriations as foreseen in point 26 of the IIA.

The Rapporteur welcomes that the Commission has proposed the mobilisation of the EUSF as a sole issue in the PDAB 7/2009, in accordance with the European Parliament and Council joint declaration of 17 July 2008.

France applied for assistance of Fund following a storm that affected, in January 2009, 31 "départements" in the south-western part of the country, causing severe damage.

The total direct damage caused by the storm, as estimated by relevant services of the Commission, amounts to EUR 3,805 billion. Thus the disaster has been qualified as a "major natural disaster" and falls within the main field of application of the legal basis.

After verifying that this application complies with the eligibility criteria of Council regulation (EC) N° 2012/2002 the Commission proposed to mobilise the EU solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 109 377 165 in commitment and payment appropriations. This amount shall be mobilised through a flexibility mechanism, providing with "fresh money": from Chapter 1 4 of the Revenue of the General Budget concerning the Own Resources Based on GNI pursuant to article 2(1)(c) of Decision 2007/436/EC, EURATOM to the budget line 13 06 01 of the heading 3b of the MFF: EUSF - Member States.

Figures - Solidarity Fund

Article Item	Heading	FF	Appropriations 2009		Amending budget No. 7		New amount
			CA	PA	CA	PA	CA	PA
13 06	Solidarity Fund
13 06 01	European Union Solidarity Fund — Member States	3.2	11 785 377	11 785 377	109 377 165	109 377 165	121 162 542	121 162 542
	Article 13 06 01 — Subtotal		11 785 377	11 785 377	109 377 165	109 377 165	121 162 542	121 162 542

According to point 26 of the IIA, a trialogue should be held before the two arms of the budgetary authority give their agreement to the mobilisation.

The PDAB 7/2009 has been on the agenda of the budgetary trialogue of 7 July 2009, when the two arms of the budgetary authority agreed on the mobilisation of the Fund.

The Committee on Regional Development expressed its positive opinion in a letter attached to this report.

The Rapporteur recommends the approval of the Commission proposal for a decision annexed to this report.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Mr Alain Lamassoure

Chairman

Committee on Budgets

Subject: The European Commission's proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund in favour of France (COM(2009)0308 Final)

Dear Mr Lamassoure,

In order to avoid undue delay in approving this measure which the Committee on Budgets intends to adopt as soon as possible, I am pleased to inform you that the Committee on Regional Development has no objection to the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund to provide the sum of Euro 109.377.163 to France as proposed by the European Commission and in accordance with the rules laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 and Regulation N° 2012/2002.

Yours sincerely,

Danuta Hübner

PROCEDURE

Title	Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management
References	COM(2009)0308– C7-0051 – 2009/2048(BUD)
Committee responsible   Date announced in plenary	BUDG 14.7.2009
Committee(s) asked for opinion(s)   Date announced in plenary	REGI14.7.2009
Rapporteur(s)   Date appointed	Reimer Böge20.9.2004
Previous rapporteur(s)
Date draft amending budget established by the Council
Date draft amending budget forwarded by the Council
Discussed in committee	2.9.2009
Date adopted	2.9.2009
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	34 1
Members present for the final vote	Damien Abad, Alexander Alvaro, Francesca Balzani, Reimer Böge, Giovanni Collino, Andrea Cozzolino, Göran Färm, José Manuel Fernandes, Eider Gardiazábal Rubial, Salvador Garriga Polledo, Jens Geier, Ivars Godmanis, Estelle Grelier, Carl Haglund, Jutta Haug, Jiří Havel, Monika Hohlmeier, Ivaylo Kalfin, Sergej Kozlík, Alain Lamassoure, Janusz Lewandowski, Vladimír Maňka, Barbara Matera, Nadezhda Mihaylova, Claudio Morganti, Miguel Portas, Vladimír Remek, Daniël van der Stoep, László Surján, Helga Trüpel, Angelika Werthmann, Jacek Włosowicz
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Frederic Daerden, Cătălin Sorin Ivan, Riikka Manner
Substitute(s) under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote
Date tabled	8.9.2009
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