PURPOSE: definitive adoption of amending budget No 3 of the European Union for the 2019 financial year.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Definitive adoption (EU, Euratom) 2019/1818 of amending budget No 3 of the European Union for the financial year 2019.

CONTENT: Parliament noted that amending budget No 3 of the European Union for the 2019 financial year had been definitively adopted.

Amending budget No 3 accompanies Decision (EU) 2019/1817 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to assist Austria, Italy and Romania following the natural disasters that hit these countries in 2018.

The amending budget concerns the intervention of the EU Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 293.5 million in commitment and payment appropriations to assist Romania for floods in the north-eastern region, Italy for floods and landslides following torrential rains, from the northern Alpine areas to Sicily, and Austria for the same phenomena that affected the Alpine / southern regions during 2018.

The corresponding appropriations are allocated in accordance with Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund - Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment and the economy).

The European Parliament adopted by 649 votes to 19, with 30 abstentions, a resolution approving the Council's position on Draft amending budget No 3/2019 of the European Union for the financial year 2019 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to assist Romania, Italy and Austria.

Draft amending budget No 3/2019 covers the proposed mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania for the flooding in the North-East Region, to Italy for the flooding and landslides following heavy rainfall from the Alpine areas in the North down to Sicily, as well as to Austria for the same phenomenon in the Alpine/southern regions in the course of 2018.

The Commission consequently proposed to amend the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019 and to increase 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 293 551 794 both in commitment and payment appropriations.

It is recalled that the European Union Solidarity Fund is a special instrument as defined in the MFF Regulation, and the corresponding commitment and payments appropriations are to be budgeted over and above the MFF ceilings.

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by John HOWARTH (S&D, UK) on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 3/2019 of the European Union for the financial year 2019 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria.

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 500 000 000 (2011 prices).

Draft amending budget No 3/2019 covers the proposed mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania for the flooding in the North-East Region, to Italy for the flooding and landslides following heavy rainfall from the Alpine areas in the North down to Sicily, as well as to Austria for the same phenomenon in the Alpine/southern regions in the course of 2018.

The Commission consequently proposed to amend the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019 and to increase 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 293 551 794 both in commitment and payment appropriations.

Members approved the Council position on Draft amending budget No 3/2019.

On 22 May 2019, the Commission submitted to the Council draft amending budget (DAB) No 3 to the general budget for 2019 regarding the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 293.5 million in commitment and payment appropriations.

The proposal seeks to finance the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund to provide financial assistance to Austria, Italy and Romania in response to natural disasters that hit those countries in 2018.

The corresponding appropriations are to be recorded under Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund - Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy).

On 3 September 2019, the Council adopted its position on DAB No 3 to the general budget for 2019 as set out in the technical annex to its explanatory memorandum.

On 22 May 2019, the Commission submitted to the Council draft amending budget (DAB) No 3 to the general budget for 2019 regarding the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 293.5 million in commitment and payment appropriations.

The proposal seeks to finance the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund to provide financial assistance to Austria, Italy and Romania in response to natural disasters that hit those countries in 2018.

The corresponding appropriations are to be recorded under Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund - Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy).

On 3 September 2019, the Council adopted its position on DAB No 3 to the general budget for 2019 as set out in the technical annex to its explanatory memorandum.

PURPOSE: presentation of the draft amending budget No 3 to the general budget 2019 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria.

CONTENT: Draft Amending Budget (DAB) No 3 for the year 2019 accompanies the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to provide assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria following natural disasters that took place in these Member States in the course of 2018.

Appropriations requested in the 2019 budget

On the basis of the applications from Romania, Italy and Austria, the calculation of the financial contribution from the EUSF, based on the estimate of total direct damages, is set at EU 293 551 794.

The Commission proposes to amend the budget 2019 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 293 551 794 both in commitment and payment appropriations.

Financing

In accordance with the MFF regulation, the total amount available for the mobilisation of the EUSF at the beginning of 2019 was EUR 851 082 072, being the sum of the 2019 allocation of EUR 585 829 691, plus the 2018 allocation of EUR 265 252 381 that remained unspent and was carried over to 2019.

The amount that may be mobilised at this stage of the year 2019 is EUR 704 624 649. This corresponds to the total amount available for the mobilisation of the EUSF at the beginning of 2019 (EUR 851 082 072), minus the retained amount of EUR 146 457 423 in order to respect the obligation of keeping aside 25 % of the 2019 annual allocation until 1 October 2019 as stipulated by the MFF regulation.