PURPOSE: to mobilise the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to provide assistance to Germany following a series of intense floods.
PROPOSED ACT: ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.
CONTENT: Council Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 1311/2013 lays down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-20201, and in particular the Article 10 thereof allows for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, within an annual ceiling of EUR 500 million (2011 prices), over and above the relevant headings of the financial framework.
Germany: on 19 August 2016, Germany submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following a series of extremely intense, short-lived cases of floods that affected the region of Niederbayern in May and June 2016.
The Commission carried out an in-depth examination of this application and considered that, taking account of the maximum possible contribution from the Fund as well as the scope for reallocating appropriations, it would be possible to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 31 475 125.
Direct damage: the German authorities presented a request based on the total amount of direct damage, that being EUR 1.259 billion.
Given that the application by Germany meets the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002, it is proposed to mobilise the Fund in order to provide a financial contribution to Germany for the requested amount.
The Commission will present a draft amending budget (DAB) in order to enter in the 2016 budget the specific commitment and payment appropriations.
In the event of disagreement, a trilogue procedure will be initiated in accordance with Point 11 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management.