Decision (EU) 2021/885 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece and France in relation to natural disasters and to Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain in relation to a public health emergency

Decision (EU) 2021/885 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece and France in relation to natural disasters and to Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain in relation to a public health emergency 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 OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3. , and in particular Article 4(3) thereof, Having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 28. , and in particular point 10 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 major or regional natural disasters or major public health emergency. (2) The Fund is not to exceed the ceilings as laid down in Article 9 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 11). . In accordance with Article 9(2) and 9(4) of that Regulation, the maximum amount that can be mobilised by the Fund from the 2021 allocation until 1 September 2021 is EUR 477543750. In accordance with Article 4a(4) of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002, the amount of EUR 50000000 has already been inscribed in the general budget for the financial year 2021 (in commitments and payments) for the payment of advances. In addition, an amount of EUR 47981598 of the 2020 allocation was not used until the end of that year and is carried over to 2021. Therefore, the maximum amount available under the EUSF at this point in 2021 is EUR 525525348, which is enough to cover the needs under this Decision. (3) On 29 October 2020, Greece submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the floods in August 2020 in Sterea Ellada. (4) On 9 December 2020, Greece submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the damages caused by the cyclone Ianos in September 2020 that affected the Regions of Ionia Nisia, Sterea Ellada, Ditiki Ellada, Thessalia and Peloponnisos. (5) On 22 January 2021, Greece submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the earthquake in October 2020 that affected the islands of Samos, Ikaria and Chios.

(6) On 21 December 2020, France submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the damages caused by Storm Alex in Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur region in October 2020. (7) By 24 June 2020, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Spain submitted applications to mobilise the Fund in relation to the major public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. (8) The applications by those States meet the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002. (9) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to Greece and France in relation to the natural disasters and to Albania, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain in relation to the major public health emergency. (10) In the case of Croatia, since the advance already paid exceeds the final aid amount, no further amount needs to be mobilised and the unduly paid advance will be recovered in accordance with Article 4a of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002. (11) In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply from the date of its adoption, HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2021, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised as follows in commitment and payment appropriations in relation to natural disasters: (a) the amount of EUR 3300100 shall be provided to Greece in relation to the floods in Sterea Ellada, including the amount of EUR 330010 as advance payment; (b) the amount of EUR 21588519 shall be provided to Greece in relation to cyclone Ianos, including the amount of EUR 2158852 as advance payment; (c) the amount of EUR 2531301 shall be provided to Greece in relation to the earthquake in the islands of Samos, Chios and Ikaria, including the amount of EUR 253131 as advance payment; (d) the amount of EUR 59325000 shall be provided to France in relation to the storm Alex, including the amount of EUR 5932500 as advance payment.

Article 2

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2021, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised as follows in commitment and payment appropriations in relation to a major public health emergency: (a) the amount of EUR 905271 shall be provided to Albania; (b) the amount of EUR 31755580 shall be provided to Austria; (c) the amount of EUR 37298777 shall be provided to Belgium; (d) the amount of EUR 17373205 shall be provided to Czechia; (e) the amount of EUR 3588755 shall be provided to Estonia; (f) the amount of EUR 91365053 shall be provided to France; (g) the amount of EUR 13648386 shall be provided to Germany; (h) the amount of EUR 3994022 shall be provided to Greece;

(i) the amount of EUR 13136857 shall be provided to Hungary; (j) the amount of EUR 20480330 shall be provided to Ireland; (k) the amount of EUR 76271930 shall be provided to Italy; (l) the amount of EUR 1177677 shall be provided to Latvia; (m) the amount of EUR 2828291 shall be provided to Lithuania; (n) the amount of EUR 2857025 shall be provided to Luxembourg; (o) the amount of EUR 199505 shall be provided to Montenegro; (p) the amount of EUR 18039670 shall be provided to Portugal; (q) the amount of EUR 13926870 shall be provided to Romania; (r) the amount of EUR 11968276 shall be provided to Serbia; (s) the amount of EUR 36639441 shall be provided to Spain.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 20 May 2021. Done at Brussels, 20 May 2021. For the European Parliament The President D. M. Sassoli For the Council The President A. P. Zacarias