PURPOSE: final adoption of amending budget No 9 of the European Union for the financial year 2009.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: 2009/885/EC, Euratom.

CONTENT: the European Parliament definitively adopted amending budget 9/2009 of the European Union in accordance with its resolution of 20 October 2009 (please refer to the summary of the resolution).

The amending budget concerns the following:

· the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 771 159 in commitment and payment appropriations relating to the effects of the earthquake that hit Italy in April 2009 ,

· the corresponding reduction in global payment appropriations of EUR 493 771 159 from a number of specific 2009 budget lines (policy areas: 05 Agriculture and Rural Development, 07 Environment, 08 Research and 11 Maritime Affairs and Fisheries).

This mobilisation is neutral in budgetary terms as the required payment appropriations are being redeployed by a transfer. In this context, please refer to procedure reference BUD/2009/2083 on the decision to mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund to assist Italy following the earthquake in 2009.

The European Parliament adopted by 654 votes to 4, with 15 abstentions, a resolution approving, unamended, the draft amending budget No 9 of the European Union for the financial year 2009.

Parliament recalls that the draft amending budget concerns the following items:

the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 78 million in commitment and payment appropriations relating to the effects of an earthquake in Italy in April 2009; a corresponding reduction in global payment appropriations of EUR 493 78 million from a number of specific 2009 budget lines (policy areas: 05 Agriculture and Rural Development, 07 Environment, 08 Research and 11 Maritime Affairs and Fisheries).

Parliament takes note of the fact that it is the fifth amending budget solely dedicated to the EU Solidarity Fund, in accordance with the request of the European Parliament and the Council in the joint declaration adopted during the Conciliation meeting of 17 July 2008.

On 31 August 2009, the Commission forwarded to the Council preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) No. 9 to the general budget for 2009, relating to the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 771 159 in commitment and payment appropriations for Italy, following the earthquake which affected the Abruzzo region in April 2009.

This mobilisation is neutral in budgetary terms as the required payment appropriations are being redeployed by a transfer to Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund – Member States) from various budget lines in the policy areas 05 (Agricultural and Rural Development), 07 (Environment), 08 (Research) and 11 (Maritime Affairs and Fisheries).

At the simplified trilogue provided for in Point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement , an agreement was reached on the mobilisation of the Fund and on the amount proposed by the Commission.

On 9 October 2009, the Council established draft amending budget No. 9 for the financial year 2009, as submitted by the Commission in its preliminary draft amending budget No. 9 and as set out in the explanatory memorandum of this Council draft budget (see Council doc. 14265/09 ADD 1 ) .

On 31 August 2009, the Commission forwarded to the Council preliminary draft amending budget (PDAB) No. 9 to the general budget for 2009, relating to the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 771 159 in commitment and payment appropriations for Italy, following the earthquake which affected the Abruzzo region in April 2009.

This mobilisation is neutral in budgetary terms as the required payment appropriations are being redeployed by a transfer to Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund – Member States) from various budget lines in the policy areas 05 (Agricultural and Rural Development), 07 (Environment), 08 (Research) and 11 (Maritime Affairs and Fisheries).

At the simplified trilogue provided for in Point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement , an agreement was reached on the mobilisation of the Fund and on the amount proposed by the Commission.

On 9 October 2009, the Council established draft amending budget No. 9 for the financial year 2009, as submitted by the Commission in its preliminary draft amending budget No. 9 and as set out in the explanatory memorandum of this Council draft budget (see Council doc. 14265/09 ADD 1 ) .

The Committee on Budgets adopted unanimously the report drawn up by Jutta HAUG (S-D, DE) on the draft amending budget No 9 of the European Union for the financial year 2009 which concerns the following items:

the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 78 million in commitment and payment appropriations relating to the effects of an earthquake in Italy; a corresponding reduction in global payment appropriations of EUR 493 78 million from a number of specific 2009 budget lines (policy areas: 05 Agriculture and Rural Development, 07 Environment, 08 Research and 11 Maritime Affairs and Fisheries).

MEPs approve the draft amending budget No 9/2009 unamended. They take note of the fact that it is the fifth amending budget solely dedicated to the EU Solidarity Fund, in accordance with the request of the European Parliament and the Council in the joint declaration adopted during the Conciliation meeting of 17 July 2008.

PURPOSE: to present preliminary draft amending budget 9/2009 to mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund to assist Italy following an earthquake.

CONTENT: Preliminary Draft Amending Budget (PDAB) No 9 for the year 2009 covers the Mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 771 159 in commitment and payment appropriations relating to the effects of an earthquake in Italy.

In April 2009 a strong earthquake affected the Italian region of Abruzzo claiming the lives of 300 people and causing extremely significant damage. Within the 10 week deadline set by Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002, the Italian authorities applied for financial assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund relating to the earthquake. The Commission services carried out a thorough examination and accept the application submitted by Italy as a “major disaster”. It proposes therefore the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund.

Financing : the total annual budget available for the Solidarity Fund is EUR 1 billion. In 2009, EUR 121.2 million has already been earmarked for earlier applications leaving EUR 878.8 million available.

As a consequence, the Commission is proposing to mobilise EUR 493 771 159 from the Solidarity Fund.

PURPOSE: to present preliminary draft amending budget 9/2009 to mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund to assist Italy following an earthquake.

CONTENT: Preliminary Draft Amending Budget (PDAB) No 9 for the year 2009 covers the Mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for an amount of EUR 493 771 159 in commitment and payment appropriations relating to the effects of an earthquake in Italy.

In April 2009 a strong earthquake affected the Italian region of Abruzzo claiming the lives of 300 people and causing extremely significant damage. Within the 10 week deadline set by Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002, the Italian authorities applied for financial assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund relating to the earthquake. The Commission services carried out a thorough examination and accept the application submitted by Italy as a “major disaster”. It proposes therefore the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund.

Financing : the total annual budget available for the Solidarity Fund is EUR 1 billion. In 2009, EUR 121.2 million has already been earmarked for earlier applications leaving EUR 878.8 million available.

As a consequence, the Commission is proposing to mobilise EUR 493 771 159 from the Solidarity Fund.