Activities of Nikos CHRYSOGELOS related to 2012/2075(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Urban redevelopment as contribution to economic growth - Role of territorial development in cohesion policy - European Union Solidarity Fund, implementation and application - Role of EU cohesion policy in implementing the new European energy policy (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the European Union Solidarity Fund, implementation and application PDF (185 KB) DOC (95 KB)
Amendments (13)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the current crisis obliges Member States and the EU not to incur excesnatural disasters including extreme weather events within Europe have continued to grow both in sivze spendingand frequency;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the importance of the Solidarity Fund as the main instrument allowing the European Union to respond to a serious disaster occurring within Union territory or in a neighbouring countrycountries negotiating their accession to the EU;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points to the need to improve the effectiveness and speed of the administrative procedures required for its mobilisation, which entail intervention by three European institutions before approval can be granted, with the result thatas these procedures excessively delay and prolong the time taken to assist Member States and regions affected by a disaster;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes the view that, in the case of what are considered ‘'slowly unfolding’' disasters, the current provisions of the regulation pose legal and practical difficulties for mobilisation, chiefly due to the 10-week deadline set for submitting applications;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the urgent need to simplify the bureaucratic procedures necessary to mobilise this Community instrument with a view to reducing the time that elapses between the point at which the disaster occurs and the point at which the Member State or region affected receives aid, which in some cases extends for more than a year; points out, nevertheless, that this instrument was not created to provide a rapid response but to re-finance emergency operations financed initially by the public authorities in the affected country;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Welcomes the EU Commission's proposal for contributing to simplify procedures at European level so as to reduce delays; underlines that Member States should also analyse their administrative procedures and identify and remove possible bottlenecks that might bear an obstacle to faster mobilisation of assistance to the affected regions;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on Member States to closely cooperate with local and regional authorities at all stages of implementation in order to ensure that Union's assistance is visible and effective on the ground and to promote sustainable solutions;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Finds the Commission's proposal in relation to merging grant decisions and implementation agreements in the Commission and Member States interesting and appropriate once the European Parliament and the Council have made the financial resources available, since it would save time and therefore allow a more rapid response;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Endorses the idea that introducing payments in advance of the applicationthe possibility to pay advances as soon as the affected State has applied for assistance is also a viable option for speeding up the process of making aid available to countries affected by a major disasters and that it would help to make the Solidarity Fund more effective; takes the view that, if such a decision is taken, advances should represent a fixed percentage of the total aid that is expected to be provided and they would have to be returned to the Community in the event that the application was not accepted;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Takes the view that, where a disaster has ‘cascading’ effects, the ‘collateral’ damage should still be covered by the Fund where it has a significant impact on a region's socio-economic structure as it may happen after fires, floods, droughts, heat waves and other extreme weather events;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Recalls, that disaster prevention plays a vital role in Union's policies and represents the cheapest way to reduce vulnerability towards disasters; underlines that EU regions should make coherent use of all the different funding opportunities for sustainable disaster prevention;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Demands sustainability to be taken into account for money spent under the EUSF so as to contribute to avoid repetition of disasters;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges the Commission to examine and adapt the criteria so that the Solidarity Fund can respond to Mediterranefires, floods, droughts, heat waves and other extreme weather events and natural disasters which, partly due to climate change, represent the most serious natural disasters that have been occurring in the Union in recent years;