European Union Solidarity Fund: mobilisation for disasters in Spain and Italy, budget 2003

PURPOSE : to mobilise the European Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for granting emergency aid to victims in the Italian regions affected by natural disasters as well as granting emergency aid to regions in Spain hit by "Prestige" disaster. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Decision 2003/785/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund in accordance with point 3 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund, supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure (damage caused by the Prestige oil tanker, by the earthquake in Molise and Apulia, and by the eruption of Mount Etna). CONTENT : the European Union has created a European Union Solidarity Fund to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters. The Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion. Regulation 2012/2002/EC contains the provisions whereby the Fund may be mobilised. The damage caused by the Prestige oil tanker, by the earthquake in Molise and Apulia, and by the eruption of Mount Etna meets the conditions for mobilising the Fund This Decision stipulates that for the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2003, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 56,250 million in commitment appropriations. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 9 October 2003.�