PURPOSE: to conclude an Interinstitutional Agreement in order to mobilise Solidarity Funds to assist the United Kingdom following the severe floods in June and July 2007.
PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council (Interinstitutional Agreement)
CONTENT: The Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 allows for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund through a flexibility mechanism, within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion, over and above the relevant headings of the financial perspective.
The conditions of eligibility to the Fund are detailed in Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 (refer to procedure file CNS/2002/0228).
On the basis of an application for assistance from the Fund by the United Kingdom which was affected by floods in June and July 2007, total estimates of the damage caused are as follows:
In the light of the examination of the application, and considering the maximum possible grant from the Fund as well as the scope for reallocating appropriations under the heading requiring additional expenditure, the Commission proposes to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 162 387 985, to be allocated under heading 3b of the financial framework.
The Commission will present an amending budget (AB) in order to enter in the 2008 budget the specific commitment and payment appropriations, as requested in Point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 (see BUD/2008/2017).