Proposal for a Decision on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria

Summary:

Proposal presented on 22 May 2019 by the European Commission providing financial assistance to Austria, Italy and Romania following natural disasters in 2018 (draft amending budget No 3).

Further information:

This decision covers the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for an amount of €293,551,794 to provide assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria further to disasters that took place in these countries in the course of 2018:

• From mid-June to early August 2018, the North East region of Romania was affected by repeated heavy rainfall and subsequent extensive flooding triggering important damage to infrastructure and households and losses in agriculture.
• In October and early November 2018 the majority of the Italian regions from the Alpine areas in the north down to Sicily suffered from repeated onslaughts of heavy rain and strong winds with resulting flooding and landslides, making this the most devastating autumn season in recent history with a great number of casualties and widespread physical damage.
• At the end of October 2018, the meteorological phenomena affecting Italy also impacted a number of the alpine/southern regions of Austria, in particular Carinthia and Eastern Tyrol.

The mobilisation was accompanied by Draft Amending Budget (DAB) No 3/2019 that proposes to enter the necessary appropriations in the general budget 2019, both in commitments and payments. The European Parliament approved the proposed amendments on 18 September.

Official

EUR-Lex: COM(2019)205: Draft amending budget No 3 to the general budget 2019 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2019:205:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2019/2023(BUD)

European Parliament: Press Release, 19/09/2019: Nearly €300 million in EU aid after 2018 floods in Austria, Italy, Romania http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190912IPR60932/

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Commentary and Analysis

EPRS: At a Glance, September 2019: Amending budget No 3/2019: Mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund (Romania, Italy and Austria) http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2019)640155

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