Amending budget 7/2008: mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund for Martinique and Guadeloupe, financing

On 15 September 2008, the Commission forwarded to the Council preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) No 7/2008 to the general budget for 2008, relating to the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 12 780 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for France following hurricane "Dean" which affected Martinique and Guadeloupe in August 2007.

Mobilising these funds does not affect the budget as the required payment appropriations are being redeployed by a transfer from budget heading 13 04 02 ("Cohesion funds") to heading 13 06 01 ("EU Solidarity Fund – Member States"). The availability of appropriations under heading 13 04 02 is explained by the fact that intermediate payments in 2008 will be lower than the original estimates, which provided for a higher number of major projects being submitted and approved before the end of the financial year.

On 20 October 2008, the Council established draft amending budget No 7 for 2008, as proposed by the Commission in its PDAB No 7. That draft is set out in the technical annex to the statement of reasons in the Council draft budget (see Council Doc. 14359/08 ADD 1).