REPORT 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 Germany
25.11.2016 - (COM(2016)0681 – C8‑0423/2016 – 2016/2267(BUD))
Committee on Budgets
Rapporteur: Monika Hohlmeier
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
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 Germany
(COM(2016)0681 – C8-0423/2016 – 2016/2267(BUD))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2016)0681 – C8‑0423/2016),
– 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 (A8-0352/2016),
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.
ANNEX: 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 Fund[1], 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 management[2], and in particular point 11 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1) 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.
(2) 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 1311/2013[3].
(3) 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.
(4) 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.
(5) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to Germany.
(6) In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply from the date of its adoption,
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.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from … [the date of its adoption].
Done at …,
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
The Commission proposes to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to grant financial assistance relating to a disaster in Germany (floods affecting Lower Bavaria, especially the district of Rottal-Inn) occurred in May and June 2016.
The series of extremely intense, short-lived cases of flooding/flash floods caused destruction of public and private infrastructure, private homes and in agriculture. Seven people lost their lives and more than 47 000 people in Lower Bavaria were affected, with over 2 000 unable to return to their houses two months after the floods. The town of Simbach am Inn was almoste entirely destroyed and was left with no municipal water supply for three weeks. Significant damage to businesses and agriculture was also reported, as well as heavy damage to the basic infrastructure, water supply, sewage services and electricity network.
In their application, received by the Commission on 19 August 2016, the German authorities estimated total direct damage caused by the disaster at EUR 1 259,005 million. As this represents 3,03% of the regional GDP of the concerned NUTS 2 region Niederbayern (based on 2014 data) and exceeds the 1,5% threshold of regional GDP, the disaster qualifies as a “regional disaster” within the meaning of Article 2(3) of the EUSF Regulation.
The cost of eligible essential emergency operations, as defined in Article 3 of the Regulation, has been estimated by the German authorities at EUR 94,196 million, out of which over EUR 52,227 million concern the recovery operations in the field of transport and over EUR 21 million concern the cleaning-up measures.
The affected region falls under the category of "more developed region" under the European Structural and Investment Funds (2014-2020). The German authorities have not signalled to the Commission their intention to reallocate funding from the ESI Fund programme towards recovery measures.
Germany did not request the payment of an advance.
In line with past practice, the Commission proposes to apply the rate of 2,5 % of total direct damage for all damage up to the “major disaster” threshold. The total amount of aid proposed is therefore EUR 31 475 125 EUR.
The proposed mobilisation requires an amendment to the 2016 budget and a draft amending budget (N°6/2016), aiming at increasing budget article 13 06 01 'Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy' by EUR 31 475 125 both in commitment and in payment appropriations.
This is the second mobilisation decision of 2016 and the total amount of aid proposed complies with the annual ceiling provisions for the EU Solidarity Fund as set in the MFF Regulation of EUR 552 040 402 (i.e. EUR 500 million in 2011 prices). As the 2015 allocation of EUR 541 216 080 remained unspent and was carried over for one year to 2016, the remaining unspent amount of the EUSF, following the first 2016 mobilisation proposal (earthquake in the Ionian Islands, Greeks) is currently EUR 1 091 604 648.
The Rapporteur recommends the swift approval of the Commission proposal for a decision annexed to this report, in sign of solidarity with the affected region.
ANNEX – LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mr Jean ARTHUIS
Chairman
Committee on Budgets
European Parliament
Dear Mr. Arthuis,
Subject: Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund in favour of Germany
The European Commission has transmitted to the European Parliament its proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund (COM(2016)0681) to provide assistance to Germany.
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 |
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In the light of the examination of the application (Communication to the Commission C(2016(6597 of 14.10.2016) 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 Committee coordinators have assessed this proposal, and asked me to write to you reporting that the majority of this Committee has no objection to this mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund to allocate the above-mentioned amount as proposed by the Commission.
Yours sincerely,
Iskra MIHAYLOVA
RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
Date adopted |
24.11.2016 |
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Result of final vote |
+: –: 0: |
33 1 3 |
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Members present for the final vote |
Nedzhmi Ali, Jonathan Arnott, Jean Arthuis, Richard Ashworth, Reimer Böge, Lefteris Christoforou, Jean-Paul Denanot, Gérard Deprez, Eider Gardiazabal Rubial, Jens Geier, Ingeborg Gräßle, Iris Hoffmann, Monika Hohlmeier, Bernd Kölmel, Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, Vladimír Maňka, Ernest Maragall, Clare Moody, Siegfried Mureşan, Victor Negrescu, Liadh Ní Riada, Younous Omarjee, Urmas Paet, Pina Picierno, Paul Rübig, Patricija Šulin, Eleftherios Synadinos, Indrek Tarand, Inese Vaidere, Monika Vana, Daniele Viotti, Marco Zanni, Auke Zijlstra, Stanisław Żółtek |
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Substitutes present for the final vote |
Ivana Maletić, Andrey Novakov, Tomáš Zdechovský |
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