Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund

Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allows for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, within an annual ceiling of €500 million (2011 prices), over and above the relevant headings of the financial framework. The conditions of eligibility to the Fund are detailed in the Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 as amended by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund.

In late April 2015 the Commission received applications for the Fund for financial assistance relating to a disaster in Bulgaria (severe winter conditions) and two disasters in Greece (Evros and Central Greece flooding) which had occurred in January and February 2015. The Commission has carried out a thorough examination of the applications in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund.

In the light of the examination of the applications, and considering the maximum possible grant from the Fund, the Commission proposes to mobilise the Fund for these two cases by using €16,274,765 from the €50,000,000 specifically mobilised for advances on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2015.

EUR-Lex: COM(2015)370: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2015:370:FIN

ESO: Background information: Commission allocates €16.2 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to Greece and Bulgaria in the wake of natural disasters http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-commission-allocates-e16-2-million-from-the-eu-solidarity-fund-to-greece-and-bulgaria-in-the-wake-of-natural-disasters/

---