Amending budget 4/2014: mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for Italy, Greece, Slovenia and Croatia

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Gérard DEPREZ (ADLE, BE) on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 5/2014 of the European Union for the financial year 2014, Section III – Commission.

Members recalled that Draft amending budget No 5/2014 relates to the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 46 998 528 in commitment and payment appropriations in relation to the floods in Italy (Sardinia) during November 2013, an earthquake in Greece (Kefalonia), ice storms in Slovenia, and the same ice storms, followed by floods in Croatia, at end January/beginning February 2014.

The purpose of Draft amending budget No 5/2014 is to formally enter this budgetary adjustment into the 2014 budget.

Members stressed the urgent need to release financial assistance through the EUSF to the countries affected by this natural disaster.

They underlined that the shortage of payment appropriations for 2014, which was the underlying reason for the presentation of Draft amending budget No 3/2014 and the accompanying proposal by the Commission to mobilise the Contingency Margin, excludes a priori the possibility of finding the resources for Draft amending budget No 5/2014 through redeployment.

They called on the Parliament to endorse the Joint conclusions agreed by the Parliament and the Council on 8 December 2014 with the view of approving the additional commitment appropriations amounting to EUR 47 million in budget 2014 and shifting the corresponding payment needs to the 2015 budget.

At the same time, they called on the Parliament to approve the Council position on Draft amending budget No 5/2014.