Amending budget 7/2011: mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for Spain and Italy

On 21 November 2011, the Commission forwarded to the Council draft amending budget (DAB) No 7 to the general budget for 2011, regarding the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 37 979 875 in commitment and payment appropriations.

Its objective is to provide financial assistance to the region of Murcia in Spain, hit by an earthquake in May 2011, and to the Veneto region in Italy, affected by torrential rainfalls in Autumn 2010.

The corresponding appropriations are to be recorded under Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund -Member States). The necessary payment appropriations will be redeployed from Item 05 04 05 01 (Rural development programs).

At the simplified trilogue provided for in Point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006, an agreement was reached on the mobilisation of the Fund and on the amount proposed by the Commission.

The Council reached an agreement on both Commission proposals.

On 30 November 2011, the Council adopted its position on draft amending budget No 7 of the European Union for the financial year 2011, by accepting the Commission proposal without any changes and as set out in the technical annex to this explanatory memorandum of the Council draft budget.