Decision (EU) 2021/75 on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Croatia and Poland in relation to a natural disaster and to provide for the payment of advances to Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in relation to a public health emergency

Summary:

Decision (EU) 2021/75 - signed by the co-legislators on 25 November 2020 - covering the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to provide assistance to a number of EU Member States due to natural disasters or the early effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Further information:

The proposed Decision covers the mobilisation of the EUSF in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 for an amount of €823,548,633 to provide assistance to Croatia and Poland further to natural disasters that took place in these countries in the course of 2020, as well as for advances to seven Member States (Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Spain) in response to the major public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

The €823 million in aid are to be distributed as follows:

• Over €132.7 million to be made in advance payments to Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, and Portugal in response to the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020;
• €683.7 million to help Croatia deal with the effects of the earthquake in Zagreb and the surrounding area in March 2020;
• Over €7 million to assist Poland with reconstruction efforts following floods in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship province in June 2020.

The scope of the EUSF was extended earlier in the year as part of the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII), enabling the EU to help countries respond to major public health emergencies. Regarding the amount allocated to Croatia, a first disbursement of €88.9 million was released in August 2020 in the form of advance payments.

The initiative was put forward on 9 October 2020 by the European Commission. The Council of the European Union adopted it on 30 October, followed by the plenary of the European Parliament on 24 November. It was formally signed by the co-legislators on 25 November 2020 and published in the Official Journal on 27 January 2021.

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2020)960: Proposal for a Decision on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Croatia and Poland in relation to a natural disaster and to provide for the payment of advances to Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in relation to a public health emergency https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2020:960:FIN

European Commission: Regional Policy: European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/solidarity-fund/

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Croatia and Poland in relation to a natural disaster and payment of advances to Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in relation to a public health emergency https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2020/0299(BUD)

European Commission: Press Release, 09/10/2020: EU Solidarity Fund: Commission puts forward financial assistance worth €823 million for the Croatia earthquake, floods in Poland and the coronavirus crisis https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_1857

European Parliament: Press Release, 16/11/2020: Solidarity Fund: €823 million in EU aid for eight member states https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201113IPR91596/

European Parliament: Press Release, 24/11/2020: COVID-19 and natural disasters: €823 million in EU aid for eight member states https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201120IPR92126/

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