European Union Solidarity Fund: financing and conditions to resort to it. Interinstitutional agreement

PURPOSE : to present the draft for an Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund and the conditions governing the resort to it. CONTENT : in the event of a major disaster occurring in the European Union or in the candidate countries with which accession negotiations are underway, the EU should have the means to contribute to emergency relief and the rapid return to normal of essential living conditions in the disaster-stricken areas. Therefore, the Commission has proposed the creation of a European Union Solidarity Fund to face disasters. The maximum annual amount which could be mobilised by the Fund is EUR 1 billion. In order to ensure the necessary financial flexibility and speed of intervention, the Fund's appropriations should be made available over and above the annual ceilings of the relevant financial perspective headings and their mobilisation should be able to rely on a fast procedure.�