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Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal

2018/2029(BUD)

The European Parliament adopted by 629 votes to 21, with 9 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal.

As a reminder, the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) 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.

Parliament seeks to mobilise the EUSF to grant financial assistance to Greece for the earthquakes in Lesbos, to France for the hurricanes in Saint Martin and Guadeloupe, as well as to Portugal and Spain for the forest fires that occurred in Centro and in Galicia in the course of 2017.

Given that the applications by Greece, Spain, France and Portugal meet the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, Parliament approved the following amounts in commitment and payment appropriations:

  • Greece: EUR 1 359 119;
  • Spain: EUR 3 228 675;
  • France: EUR 48 906 025;
  • Portugal: EUR 50 673 132.

Member States should utilise the financial contribution from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) in a transparent way, guaranteeing a fair distribution throughout the affected regions.

Parliament supported Member States using European structural and investment funds for the reconstruction of the affected regions and invited the Commission to support and rapidly approve the financial reallocation of the partnership agreements requested by Member States to this end.

It should be noted that the proposed mobilisation requires an amendment to the 2018 budget and a draft amending budget (N°1/2018), aiming at 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 97 646 105 both in commitment and payment appropriations.