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Amending budget 9/2013: mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for Romania, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic

2013/2257(BUD)

PURPOSE: presentation of Draft Amending Budget (DAB) No 9 for the year 2013 to cover the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund in favour of Romania, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic affected by natural disasters in 2012 and 2013.

CONTENT: this Draft Amending Budget (DAB) No 9 for the year 2013 covers the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 400.5 million in commitment and payment appropriations. The mobilisation is in favour of Romania in relation to a drought and forest fires in summer 2012, and of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic in relation to flooding in May and June 2013.

After thorough examination of the cases, the Commission considered that:

  • as regards Romania: the drought and wildfires may be considered to be a major disaster within the meaning of the Regulation and to meet the conditions set out by Article 2(2), first subparagraph, of Regulation 2012/2002 for mobilising the Solidarity Fund;
  • as regards Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic: the flooding referred to in each application is considered to be a disaster in a neighbouring country within the meaning of the Regulation and to meet the conditions set out by Article 2(2), second subparagraph, of Regulation 2012/2002 for mobilising the Solidarity Fund.

Financing: the total annual budget available for the Solidarity Fund is EUR 1 000 million. As solidarity was the central justification for the creation of the Fund, the Commission takes the view that aid from the Fund should be progressive. That means that, according to previous practice, the portion of the damage exceeding the threshold (0.6% of the GNI or EUR 3 billion in 2002 prices, whichever is the lower amount) should give rise to higher aid intensity than damage up to the threshold. The rate applied in the past for defining the allocations for major disasters is 2.5 % of total direct damage under the threshold for mobilising the Fund and 6 % above.

It is proposed to mobilise the Solidarity Fund as follows:

  • Romania - drought: EUR 806 724 312 in approved direct damages: EU aid : EUR 2 475 689
  • Germany - flooding: EUR 8 153 500 000 in approved direct damages: EUR aid: EUR 360 453 575
  • Austria - flooding: EUR 866 462 000 in approved direct damages: EUR 21 661 550
  • Czech Republic - flooding: EUR 637 131 000 in approved direct damages: EUR aid 15 928 275.

Total: EUR 400 519 089.

In conclusion, it is proposed to accept the applications submitted by Romania relating to the drought disaster in 2012 and by Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic relating to the flooding disasters of May and June 2013 and to propose the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund for each of these cases.