PURPOSE: definitive adoption of amending budget No 1 of the European Union for the 2018 financial year: mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to assist Greece, Spain, France and Portugal.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Definitive adoption (EU, Euratom) 2018/1024 of Amending budget No 1 of the European Union for the financial year 2018

CONTENT: Parliament noted that amending budget No 1 of the European Union for the 2018 financial year had been definitively adopted.

The amending budget aims to finance the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 97 646 105 in commitment and payment appropriations in order to provide financial assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal in response to the natural disasters that hit these countries in 2017.

The corresponding appropriations are entered in Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund - Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy).

The European Parliament adopted by 650 votes to 28, with 1 abstention, a resolution on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2018 of the European Union for the financial year 2018 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal.

As a reminder, Draft amending budget No 1/2018 covers the proposed mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide 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.

The Commission consequently proposed to amend the 2018 budget and to increase 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.

Parliament approved the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2018.

The Committee on Budgets adopted the report by Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP, RO) on the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2018 of the European Union for the financial year 2018 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal.

The European Union Solidarity Fund is a special instrument as defined in the MFF Regulation, and the corresponding commitment and payments appropriations are to be budgeted over and above the MFF ceilings.

Draft amending budget No 1/2018 covers the proposed mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide 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.

The Commission consequently proposed to amend the 2018 budget and to increase 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.

Members called for the approval of the Council position on Draft amending budget No 1/2018.

On 22 February 2018, the Commission submitted to the Council draft amending budget (DAB) No 1 to the general budget for 2018 regarding the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 97 646 105 in commitment and payment appropriations.

The proposal seeks to finance the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund to provide financial assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal in response to natural disasters that hit those countries in 2017.

The corresponding appropriations are to be recorded under Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund - Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy).

On 14 May 2018, the Council adopted its position on DAB No 1 to the general budget for 2018 as set out in the technical annex to the Council draft amending budget No 1/2018.

On 22 February 2018, the Commission submitted to the Council draft amending budget (DAB) No 1 to the general budget for 2018 regarding the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 97 646 105 in commitment and payment appropriations.

The proposal seeks to finance the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund to provide financial assistance to Greece, Spain, France and Portugal in response to natural disasters that hit those countries in 2017.

The corresponding appropriations are to be recorded under Article 13 06 01 (EU Solidarity Fund - Assistance to Member States in the event of a major natural disaster with serious repercussions on living conditions, the natural environment or the economy).

On 14 May 2018, the Council adopted its position on DAB No 1 to the general budget for 2018 as set out in the technical annex to the Council draft amending budget No 1/2018.

PURPOSE: presentation of a draft amending budget (DAB) No 1/2018 accompanying the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece, Spain, France, the United Kingdom Portugal.

CONTENT: draft amending budget (DAB) No 1 for the year 2018 , presented by the Commission accompanies the proposal to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of EUR 104 166 951 to provide 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.

DAB No 1/2018 proposes to enter the necessary appropriations in the general budget 2018, both in commitments and payments, after having deducted the advances already paid out to Greece, France and Portugal (EUR 6 520 846).

In accordance with the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) regulation, the total amount available for the mobilisation of the EUSF at the beginning of 2018 was EUR 421 142 057. The amount that may be mobilised at this stage of the year 2018 is EUR 277 556 348.

Considering the amount of EUR 6 520 846 that was already paid for these EUSF cases as advance, the Commission proposes to amend the 2018 budget by 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.