PURPOSE: to mobilise Solidarity Funds to assist the United Kingdom following the severe floods in June and July 2007.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision 2008/267/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund in application of point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management.
CONTENT: this Decision provides that the European Union Solidarity Fund will be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 162 387 985 in commitment and payment appropriations, to be allocated under heading 3b of the financial framework. The Fund is mobilised in favour of the United Kingdom which was affected by floods in June and July 2007.
In parallel, the Commission has adopted 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/2008/2316).
The European Union has created the EU Solidarity Fund to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters. The Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion.