The European Parliament adopted by 671 votes to 16, with 4 abstentions, a resolution on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2017 to the general budget for 2017 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to the United Kingdom, Cyprus and Portugal.
Parliament recalled that this draft amending budget relates to the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 71 524 810 in relation to the floods that occurred in the United Kingdom during December 2015 to January 2016, drought and fires in Cyprus between October 2015 and June 2016 and fires on the Portuguese island of Madeira in August 2016.
This draft amending budget No 1/2017 aims to formally enter this budgetary adjustment into the 2017 Union budget. Therefore, the Commission consequently proposed to amend the 2017 Union budget and increase Article 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', while stressing the urgent need to release this assistance.
Parliament approved, without amendment, the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2017 and recalled that the EUSF is a special instrument and the corresponding commitment and payments appropriations are to be budgeted over and above the MFF ceilings.