Amending budget 4/2017: mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund for Italy

The European Parliament adopted by 660 votes to 6 with 27 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 4/2017 of the European Union for the financial year 2017 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Italy.

As a reminder, the purpose of draft amending budget No 4/2017 is formally to enter the corresponding budgetary adjustment into the 2017 Union budget.

The Commission proposed to amend the 2017 Union budget and to increase Article 13 06 01 'Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy' by EUR 1 166 797 579 both in commitment and payment appropriations.

While the total amount available for the mobilisation of the EUSF at this stage of the year is EUR 293 971 080 less than the proposed amount, the Commission proposes to cover that difference from the annual amount available in 2018, in line with Article 10(2) of the MFF Regulation. This possibility has never been used before.

The Commission proposes to fully redeploy the necessary payment appropriations within the 2017 Union budget and to replenish the negative reserve activated in Amending Budget No 1/2017 (EUR 70 402 434) from the budget lines for the 2007-2013 structural funds programmes.

Parliament approved the Council position on draft amending budget No 4/2017 to formally enter in the general budget 2017 EUR 1 166 797 579 in commitment and payment appropriations to cover the budgetary needs of this mobilisation, after having deducted the advance already paid in 2016 (EUR 30 million).