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
7.10.2009 - (COM(2009)0445 – C7‑0122/2009 – 2009/2083(BUD))
Committee on Budgets
Rapporteur: Reimer Böge
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)0445 – C7‑0122/2009 – 2009/2083(BUD))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2009)0445 – C7‑0122/2009),
– 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 report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Committee on Regional Development (A7‑0021/2009),
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 Commission.
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,[3]
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) Italy submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, concerning a disaster caused by an earthquake.
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 493 771 159 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
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
The Commission proposes to mobilise the European Solidarity Fund in favour of Italy 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 third proposal to mobilise the Fund in 2009. In 2009, EUR 121,2 million have already been earmarked for the application of Romania and France, leaving EUR 878,8 million available.
In parallel to this proposal, the Commission has presented a preliminary amending budget (PDAB No 9/2009 of 28 August 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 9/2009, in accordance with the European Parliament and Council joint declaration of 17 July 2008.
Italy applied for assistance of Fund following a earthquake that affected, in April 2009, the Italian region of Abruzzo claiming the lives of 300 people and causing extremely significant damages.
The total direct damage caused by the earthquake, as estimated by relevant services of the Commission, amounts to EUR 10,212 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 493 771 159 in commitment and payment appropriations.
In accordance with state of availability of funds at 31 May 2009 (Budget Forecast Alert Note of 18 June 2009), the European Commission has proposed to redeploy the EUR 493 771 159 in payment appropriations from the following policy areas: 05 Agricultural and Rural Development, 07 Environment, 08 Research and 11 maritime Affaires and Fisheries.
Figures - Solidarity Fund
|
Article Item |
Heading |
FF |
Appropriations 2009 |
Amending budget No. 9 |
New amount |
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|
CA |
PA |
CA |
PA |
CA |
PA |
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13 06 |
Solidarity Fund |
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|
|
|
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|
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13 06 01 |
European Union Solidarity Fund — Member States |
3.2 |
121 162 542 |
121 162 542 |
493 771 159 |
493 771 159 |
614 933 701 |
614 933 701 |
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|
|
Article 13 06 01 |
|
121 162 542 |
121 162 542 |
493 771 159 |
493 771 159 |
614 933 701 |
614 933 701 |
|
According to point 26 of the IIA of 17 May 2006, when presenting this proposal to deploy the Fund, the Commission initiates the simplified trilogue procedure in view of securing the agreement of the two arms of the Budgetary Authority on the need to use the Fund and the amount required.
According to an internal agreement with the Committee on Regional Development Committee (REGI), this committee should be associated to the process, in order to provide constructive support and contribution to the implementation of the EU Solidarity Fund.
Following the assessment of the requests, the REGI committee of the European Parliament gave their views on the mobilisation of the Fund, as expressed in the opinion attached to the present 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 Italy (COM(2009)445 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 493.771.159 to Italy 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
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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 |
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References |
COM(2009)0445– C7-0122/2009 – 2009/2083(BUD) |
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Committee responsible Date announced in plenary |
BUDG 14.9.2009 |
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Committee(s) asked for opinion(s) Date announced in plenary |
REGI14.9.2009
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Rapporteur(s) Date appointed |
Reimer Böge
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Previous rapporteur(s) |
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Discussed in committee |
2.09.2009 |
5.10.2009 |
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Date adopted |
5.10.2009 |
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Result of final vote |
+: –: 0: |
29
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Members present for the final vote |
Damien Abad, Marta Andreasen, Francesca Balzani, Reimer Böge, Lajos Bokros, Jean-Luc Dehaene, James Elles, Göran Färm, José Manuel Fernandes, Salvador Garriga Polledo, Jens Geier, Ivars Godmanis, Estelle Grelier, Carl Haglund, Jutta Haug, Jiří Havel, Monika Hohlmeier, Sidonia Elżbieta Jędrzejewska, Anne E. Jensen, Sergej Kozlík, Alain Lamassoure, Janusz Lewandowski, Vladimír Maňka, Barbara Matera, Nadezhda Mihaylova, László Surján, Angelika Werthmann |
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Substitute(s) present for the final vote |
Giovanni La Via, Derek Vaughan
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Substitute(s) under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote
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Date tabled |
7.10.2009 |
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Comments (available in one language only)
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