EU aid for disaster-stricken countries to arrive faster, with less red tape
17 Apr 2014 04:45 PM
EU aid to EU and EU candidate countries hit by
flooding or other natural disasters should be delivered faster and more
efficiently thanks to EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) rule changes approved on
Wednesday. These changes, already agreed with EU ministers, include extending
the deadline for applying for natural disaster aid from 10 to 12 weeks, paying
10% of the aid in advance, and simplifying aid approval criteria for smaller,
“regional”, disasters.
"The EUSF is one of the most visible and effective
examples of EU solidarity. This reform will make the EU Solidarity Fund be an
even more effective tool. It defines clearly, with a single criterion, when a
region can obtain support from the fund. Newly available advance payments are
also a very important success for the Parliament's negotiators because in a
catastrophe rapid support is vital, and after tough negotiations we have been
able to unblock this issue". said rapporteur Rosa Estaràs Ferragut
(EPP, ES). Her text was approved by 525 votes to 12, with 41
abstentions.
The
clause enabling advance payments of 10% (capped at €30 million) of the
expected aid amount was retained thanks to MEPs' efforts, despite
objections in the negotiations with the Council of Ministers.
Clearer and simpler rules for regional
disasters
The
EUSF normally focuses on major disasters, causing damage in excess of either
€3 billion in 2011 prices or 0.6% of the affected country's gross
national income. But support is available also for more limited
"regional" disasters. For these, the new rules now stipulate a simple
single eligibility criterion - a damage threshold of 1.5% of the region's
gross domestic product - which will make it easier for the European Commission
to assess applications and speed up aid payments.
MEPs also secured a lower threshold of 1% of GDP to
apply to the EU’s outermost regions of the EU, and ensured that the fund
can now also be used for disasters that take longer to develop before their
disastrous effects are felt, such as droughts.
Extended deadlines, faster
procedures
MEPs won two more weeks (12 instead of 10) for
disaster-stricken states to make their aid applications. They also obtained
more time to for them to use the fund’s contribution: 18 months instead
of one year.
Time limits for administrative procedures have been
reduced, so the Commission will now have to assess within 6 weeks of receiving
the application whether the conditions for mobilising the Solidarity Fund are
met and determine the amount of the financial help possible.
Background
The
EU solidarity fund, with a maximum budget of €500 million per year for
2014-2020, was set up in 2002 following the severe floods in Central Europe in
the summer of that year. Since then, it has been mobilised for 56 disasters
including floods, storms, forest fires, earthquakes and drought. So far 23
countries have received aid from the fund totalling almost € 3.6
billion.
However, it has long been felt that the fund should be
overhauled to make it more effective, faster and visible. In 2005, a first EUSF
reform proposal was favourably received by Parliament but rejected by the
Council of Ministers.