PURPOSE: to mobilise the Solidarity Fund to provide
assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal.
PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and
of the Council.
CONTENT: the European Union Solidarity 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. The Fund is
not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 500 million
(2011 prices), as laid down in Article 10 of Council Regulation
(EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 laying down the multiannual financial
framework (MFF).
This decision covers the mobilisation of the
European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 104
166 951 to provide assistance to Greece in the aftermath
of the earthquakes in Lesbos, France for hurricanes in Saint-Martin
and Guadeloupe, as well as in Portugal and Spain following forest
fires in the Centro region and Galicia in the course of
2017.
This mobilisation is accompanied by Draft
Amending Budget (DAB) No 1/2018 that proposes to enter the
necessary appropriations in the general budget 2018, both in
commitments and payments, after having deducted the advance already
paid (EUR 6 520 846).
Greece Earthquakes in Lesbos: on 12 June 2017, an earthquake with a
magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale affected the island of Lesbos
in the Northern Aegean. A multitude of aftershocks followed causing
damage to private homes, businesses and local
infrastructure.
The Greek authorities estimate the total direct damage
at EUR 54.4 million. The damage caused on Lesbos represents
2.14 % of the GDP of the concerned Northern Aegean NUTS 2 level
region and thus exceeds the threshold of 1.5 % of regional GDP laid
down in the Regulation.
In its application Greece requested the payment of
an advance. The Commission awarded a 10 % advance of EUR 135
912 on the anticipated financial contribution from the
EUSF.
France Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Saint
Martin and Guadeloupe: on 5 and 6
September 2017, a category 5 hurricane named Irma of unprecedented
violence, travelled north-west through the Caribbean, killing and
injuring a great number of people and leaving a trail of
destruction behind. The eye of hurricane Irma crossed the island of
Saint Martin/Sint Maarteen with an average speed of 290-295 km/h
destroying over 90 % of the island. Only two weeks later on 18 and
19 September hurricane Maria, another category 5 hurricane
resulting from the same meteorological and climatic conditions as
Irma, crossed the Caribbean and again caused significant damage on
Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, Guadeloupe and parts of
Martinique.
The French authorities estimate the total direct
damage caused by the disaster at EUR 1 956.2 million.
The reported direct damage represents 21.9 % of the regions
GDP and exceeds by far the applicable 1 %-threshold for outermost
regions laid down in the Regulation.
In its application France requested the payment of an
advance. The Commission awarded a 10 % advance of EUR 4 890
603 on the anticipated financial contribution from the
EUSF.
Portugal Forest fires in Centro: between June and October 2017, Portugal suffered
several waves of large forest fires triggered by high temperatures,
strong winds and extreme low humidity. These fires affected mainly
Portugal's Central and Northern regions and had a devastating
effect causing the destruction of essential public infrastructure,
public buildings, private homes, businesses and destroying
agricultural and forest land.
In their final application the Portuguese authorities
estimate the total direct damage caused by the fires from June to
October at EUR 1 458.0 million. This amount represents
0.832 % of Portugal's GNI, and exceeds the major disaster threshold
for mobilising the Solidarity Fund of EUR 1 051.6 million in
2017 (i.e. 0.6 % of Portugal's GNI).
In its application Portugal requested the payment of
an advance. The Commission awarded an advance of EUR 1
494 331, representing 10 % of the financial contribution
from the EUSF anticipated at that moment.
Spain Forest fires in Galicia: large wildfires broke out in north-western Spain in
the region of Galicia during the period between 10 and 17 October
2017. The fires caused considerable destruction of essential public
infrastructure, private homes, businesses and forest
land.
The Spanish authorities estimate the total direct
damage caused by the disaster at EUR 129.1 million. This
amount is considerably below the major disaster threshold
applicable to Spain in 2017 of EUR 3 378.5 million (i.e. EUR 3
billion in 2011 prices). Therefore, the Spanish authorities
presented their application under the so called 'neighbouring
country provision', whereby an eligible country affected by the
same disaster qualifying as a major disaster in a neighbouring
eligible country may also benefit from EUSF aid.
Given the low level of the damage and of the
anticipated amount of aid the payment of an advance was not
justified.
Conclusion: the
Commission considers that the disasters referred to in the
applications submitted by Greece, France, Portugal and Spain
meet the conditions set out in the Regulation for mobilising
the EUSF.
Financing: the amount
that may be mobilised at this stage of the year 2018 is EUR 277
556 348. This corresponds to the total amount available for the
mobilisation of the EUSF at the beginning of 2018 (EUR 421 142
057), minus the retained amount of EUR 143 585 709 in order to
respect the obligation of keeping aside 25 % of the 2018 annual
allocation until 1 October 2018.
In the framework of the general budget of the Union
established for the financial year 2018, the Commission proposes to
mobilise the following amounts in commitment and payment
appropriations under the European Union Solidarity Fund:
- EUR 1 359 119 for Greece,
- EUR 3 228 675 for Spain,
- EUR 48 906 025 for France,
- EUR 50 673 132 for Portugal.
In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the
Fund, this Decision should apply from the date of its
adoption.