PURPOSE: presentation of draft amending budget No 4 to the 2018 budget accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to assist Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland.

CONTENT: draft amending budget (DAB) No 4 for the year 2018 accompanies the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to provide assistance to Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland following natural disasters that took place in these Member States in the course of 2017:

• Bulgaria: flooding caused by unusual intense rainfall and violent storms in the south-eastern part of the country (25 and 26 October 2017);
• Greece: earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter scale affecting the South Aegean region between Bodrum (Turkey) and the island of Kos (Greece) followed by a multitude of aftershocks (20 July 2017);
• Lithuania: flooding caused by continuous rainfall during the summer and autumn 2017;
• Poland: exceptionally violent storms and heavy rainfall (between 9 and 12 August 2017).

DAB No 4/2018 proposes to enter the necessary appropriations in the general budget 2018, both in commitments and payments.

On the basis of the applications from Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland, the calculation of the finacial contribution from the EUSF, based on the estimate of total direct damages, is set at EUR 33 992 206.

The Commission proposes to amend the budget 2018 by increasing budget line 13 06 01 'Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy' by EUR 33 992 206 both in commitment and payment appropriations.