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

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report drafted by Sidonia Elżbieta JĘDRZEJEWSKA (EPP, PL) on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 7/2011 of the European Union for the financial year 2011, Section III – Commission.

Members recall that this Draft amending budget aims at mobilising the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 38 million in commitment and payment appropriations in order to mitigate the effects of the earthquake that hit Murcia, Spain, and of the flooding in the Veneto region, Italy.

They also consider that it is of great importance to quickly release financial assistance through the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) and they are greatly concerned, in the case of flooding in the Veneto region, by the fact that the mobilisation of EUSF will only be effective 13 months after the torrential rainfall occurring at the end of October 2010. They underline, in that regard and in the specific case addressed by Draft amending Budget No 7/2011, that the two branches of the budgetary authority are taking their respective position with the utmost urgency in order to guarantee a quick delivery of assistance to the affected regions.

They call on all involved parties in the Member States, i.e. both at local and regional level, and national authorities, to improve assessment of needs and the coordination for future potential applications to the EUSF in a view to accelerate, as much as possible, the mobilisation of the EUSF.