Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

Amending budget 3/2011: mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund; flooding in Slovenia, Croatia and Czech Republic

2011/2065(BUD)

The European Parliament adopted by 619 votes to 39, with 11 abstentions, a resolution aiming to amend the Council's position on Draft amending budget No 2/2011 of the European Union for the financial year 2011, Section III – Commission.

Parliament recalls that the Draft amending budget aims at mobilising the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 19.5 million in commitment and payment appropriations following the heavy rainfalls that hit Slovenia, Croatia and Czech Republic in August and September 2010.

It recalls that the Council has decided to redeploy appropriations from budget items on the sole basis of low implementation rates, without taking into account that implementation of completion budget lines require further measures as regards controls and that not all Member States have taken the appropriate measures to facilitate the closures.

Members stipulate that the negative reserve established by the Council for Draft Amending Budget No 1/2011 is only pragmatic, does not provide sustainable and financially sound solution to address the issue of unexpected needs in payment appropriations, as underlined by the Parliament in its resolution of 6 April 2011.

Members state that the Commission has not yet presented a solution for the drawing upon of the negative reserve and that the payment appropriations decided for the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) will most likely not suffice the needs for the whole year 2011, requiring therefore a reinforcement.

Parliament considers the redeployments adopted by Council are in contradiction with the Joint Statement on payment appropriations, to which it attaches value and feels committed.

It decides therefore to amend Council's position as shown in the annex to this resolution, with a view to:

  • covering the needs ensuing from the mobilisation of the EUSF;
  • drawing upon the negative reserve;
  • reinforcing payments appropriations for the EGF.