Budgetary discipline: mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund for Slovakia after a natural disaster

PURPOSE : to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund with a view to giving assistance to Slovakia after it was hit by violent storms in 2004.

PROPOSED ACT : Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council (Interinstitutional Agreement).

CONTENT : the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002provides for mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund through a flexibility mechanism within an annual ceiling of one billion euros over and above the relevant headings of the financial perspective. The eligibility criteria for the Fund are set out in detail in Council Regulation 2012/2002/EC (refer to procedure reference CNS/2002/0228).

According to the request for assistance from the Fund made by Slovakia, which was hit by a storm, the estimated direct damage totalled: EUR 5 667 578.

After assessing this request, given the maximum possible grant from the Fund as well as the scope for reallocating appropriations under the relevant heading for additional expenditure, the Commission is proposing that EUR 5 667 578 be provided from the Solidarity Fund, to be allocated under heading 3 of the financial perspective.

The Commission will present an amending budget in order to enter specific commitment appropriations in the 2005 budget, as required by point 4 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 (please refer to BUD/2005/2126).