Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal
PURPOSE: to mobilise the Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal following the natural disasters which affected these countries during 2017.
NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2018/846 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.
CONTENT: with this Decision, the European Parliament and the Council decide, within the Union budget for 2018, to mobilise the following amounts in commitment and payment appropriations under the European Union Solidarity Fund:
- EUR 1 359 119 for Greece,
- EUR 3 228 675 for Spain,
- EUR 48 906 025 for France
- EUR 50 673 132 for Portugal.
These amounts are granted in response to applications for assistance from the Fund by:
- Greece following an earthquake that struck the island of Lesbos in the Northern Aegean on 12 June 2017;
- Spain following forest fires in north-west Spain, in the region of Galicia, between 10 and 17 October 2017;
- France following the passage of Hurricane Irma on the island of Saint-Martin on 5 and 6 September 2017 and Hurricane Maria in Guadeloupe on 18 and 19 September 2017;
- Portugal following serious fires which broke out on 17 June 2017.
As a reminder, the European Solidarity Fund 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.
The maximum annual amount allocated to the Fund may not exceed EUR 500 million (at 2011 prices).
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 8.6.2018. This Decision shall apply from the date of its adoption, 30.5.2018.