Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria

PURPOSE: to mobilise the Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Austria, Italy and Romania following disasters in these countries in 2018.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2019/1817 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Austria, Italy and Romania.

CONTENT: within the framework of the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2019, the following amounts in commitment and payment appropriations shall be mobilised under the European Union Solidarity Fund:

- EUR 8 192 300 for Romania;

- EUR 277 204 595 for Italy;

- EUR 8 154 899 for Austria.

This mobilisation is accompanied by Amending Budget No 3/2019, which provides for the necessary appropriations to be entered in the 2019 general budget, both in commitments and payments.

The decision follows the application for assistance from the Fund submitted on 7 September 2018 by Romania, on 20 December 2018 by Italy and on 14 January 2019 by Austria following extreme weather events during the summer and autumn of 2018 that caused flooding. The applications submitted by these three countries qualify for a financial contribution from the Fund.

The European Union Solidarity Fund aims to enable the Union to respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner to emergency situations in order to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by natural disasters. The maximum annual amount allocated to the Fund may not exceed EUR 500 million (at 2011 prices).

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 7.11.2019.

APPLICATION: from 18.9.2019.