Date: 2020-01-15Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Decision (EU) 2020/28 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece
**Executive Summary:**
This decision concerns the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide financial assistance of EUR 4 552 517 to Greece, following exceptionally heavy rain and storm which hit Crete in February 2019. The funds will be drawn from appropriations already allocated for advance payments in the Union's 2019 budget, with a corresponding reduction in those available appropriations. This decision entered into force and applied from 27 November 2019.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Fund Mobilisation:**
* The European Union Solidarity Fund is mobilised to assist Greece.
* The assistance follows an application submitted by Greece on 15 May 2019, due to floods and landslides on Crete.
* **Financial Contribution:**
* Greece will receive EUR 4 552 517 in commitment and payment appropriations.
* The funding is sourced from appropriations already designated for advance payments in the 2019 Union budget.
* **Budgetary Adjustments:**
* Appropriations available for advance payments in the 2019 Union budget will be reduced by EUR 4 552 517.
* **Effective Date:**
* The decision is effective from 27 November 2019.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Greece**
* *Impact:* Receives financial assistance to address the damage caused by the natural disaster.
* *Action Required:* Utilise the funds according to the regulations and guidelines of the European Union Solidarity Fund.
* **European Parliament and Council:**
* *Impact:* Formally approve the mobilisation of funds and the corresponding budgetary adjustments.
* *Action Required:* Implement and oversee the execution of the decision.
* **European Commission:**
* *Impact:* Manages the financial reallocation and disbursement of funds to Greece.
* *Action Required:* Ensure the funds are properly allocated and that Greece adheres to the fund's regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union Solidarity Fund: A fund established to enable the Union to respond rapidly and efficiently to emergency situations following natural disasters.
Greece: A country that submitted an application to mobilize the European Union Solidarity Fund following heavy rain and storms that hit Crete.
European Parliament: One of the legislative bodies of the European Union.
Council of the European Union: One of the legislative bodies of the European Union.
Crete: An island in Greece that was hit by exceptionally heavy rain and storms, leading to floods and landslides.
Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002: Council Regulation establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund.
Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013: Council Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020.
Decision (EU) 2019/277: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2019.
15.1.2020 E N O f f i c i a l J o u r n a l o f t h e E u r o p e a n U nion L 10/1
II
(Non-legislative acts)
DECISIONS
DECISION (EU) 2020/28 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 27 November 2019
on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union
Solidarity Fund (1), and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,
Having regard to 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 (2), and
in particular point 11 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1) The European Union Solidarity Fund (‘the 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.
(2) The Fund is not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 500 000 000 (2011 prices), as laid down in Article 10
of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 (3).
(3) On 15 May 2019 Greece submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following exceptionally heavy rain and
storm which hit Crete between 23 and 26 February 2019 and led to floods and landslides.
(4) The application by Greece meets the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in
Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002.
(5) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to Greece.
(6) By Decision (EU) 2019/277 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), the Fund was mobilised to provide the
sum of EUR 50 000 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for the payment of advances for the financial
year 2019. Those appropriations have only been used to a very limited extent. Consequently, there is scope for
financing the full amount for the present mobilisation through the reallocation of the appropriations available for
the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2019.
(7) In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply from the date of its adoption,
(1) OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.
(2) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.
(3) Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years
2014-2020 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884).
(4) Decision (EU) 2019/277 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2018 on the mobilisation of the European
Union Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2019 (OJ L 54, 22.2.2019, p. 5).L 10/2 E N O f f i c i a l J o u r n a l o f t h e E u r o p e an Union 15.1.2020
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2019, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to
provide the amount of EUR 4 552 517 to Greece, in commitment and payment appropriations.
The amount referred to in the first paragraph shall be financed from the appropriations mobilised for the payment of
advances in the Union budget for the financial year 2019. The appropriations available for the payment of advances shall
be reduced accordingly.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 27 November 2019.
Done at Strasbourg, 27 November 2019.
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President
D. M. SASSOLI T. TUPPURAINEN