Amending budget 10/2008: mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund for Cyprus, financing

On 7 November 2008, the Commission forwarded to the Council preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) No 11 to the general budget for 2008, relating to the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 7 605 445 in commitment and payment appropriations for Cyprus following a severe drought which culminated in April 2008.

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 Fund") to heading 13 06 01 ("EU Solidarity Fund – Member States").

At the trialogue on 13 November 2008 an agreement was reached on the mobilisation of the Fund and on the amount proposed by the Commission. Consequently, on 27 November 2008, the Council established draft amending budget No 10 for 2008 (and not 11), as proposed by the Commission in its PDAB No 11, set out in the technical annex to this statement of reasons (see Council doc. 16264/08 ADD 1).