PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2018.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/508 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2018.

CONTENT: Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allows for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, within an annual ceiling of EUR 500 million, over and above the relevant headings of the financial framework. The 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.

Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 provides that, where necessary in order to ensure the timely availability of budgetary resources, the Fund may be mobilised in an amount of up to EUR 50 000 000 for the payment of advances. With this Decision, the Fund is mobilised in the amount of EUR 50 000 000 for the payment of advances to ensure the timely availability of sufficient budgetary resources in the general budget of the Union for 2018.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 27.3. 2018. In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, the Decision applies from 01.01.2018.

The European Parliament adopted by 608 votes to 15, with 20 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund for the payment of advances to the budget General of the Union for 2018.

Parliament approved the decision annexed to the resolution . This decision aims at entering into the general budget of the Union for 2018 the amount of EUR 50 million in commitment and payment appropriations for the payment of advances in a timely and efficient way in the event of a disaster occurring next year. It shall apply from 1 January 2018.

The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) was established 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.

As a reminder, Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 provides that, where necessary in order to ensure the timely availability of budgetary resources, the Fund may be mobilised in an amount of up to EUR 50 million for the payment of advances, entering the corresponding appropriations into the general budget of the Union.

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Inese VAIDERE (EPP, LV) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2018.

The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) was set up to enable the Union to respond to emergency situations caused by major natural disasters and to express European solidarity to disaster-stricken regions within Europe.

As a reminder, Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 provides that, where necessary in order to ensure the timely availability of budgetary resources, the Fund may be mobilised in an amount of up to EUR 50 million for the payment of advances, entering the corresponding appropriations into the general budget of the Union.

This proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council is not linked to a specific disaster .

Instead, it aims at entering into the general budget of the Union for 2018 the amount of EUR 50 million in commitment and payment appropriations for the payment of advances in a timely and efficient way in the event of a disaster occurring next year.

An advance can be granted at the request of a Member State and following a preliminary assessment of the respective EUSF application by the Commission. The amount of the advance should not exceed 10% of the financial contribution anticipated and not exceed EUR 30 million.

In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, it is proposed that this Decision apply from the beginning of the 2018 financial year.

The committee recommended the mobilisation of EUR 50 million in commitment and payment appropriations for the payment of advances.

PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2018.

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 allows for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, within an annual ceiling of EUR 500 million (2011 prices), over and above the relevant headings of the financial framework.

Point 11 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters on and sound financial management set out the modalities for the mobilisation of the Fund.

The conditions of eligibility to the Fund are detailed in the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 , which foresees that an amount of up to a maximum of EUR 50 000 000 in both commitment and payment appropriations shall be included in the budget for the payment of advances.

The Commission therefore considers that it is necessary to provide for this mobilisation in order to ensure the timely availability of budgetary resources, and proposes that these amounts be included in the Draft Budget 2018.