European Union Solidarity Fund Annual report 2002-2003 and Report on the experience gained after one year of applying the new instrument

Abstract

The European Union Solidarity Fund1 was created in response to the extraordinary flooding disaster that hit central Europe during the summer of 2002 and entered into force on 15 November 20022. Article 12 of the Regulation provides that a report on the activity of the Fund in the previous year be presented to the European Parliament and to the Council. This first annual report covers the 6 week period from the creation of the Fund until the end of 2002 and the year 2003. Applying the Regulation to the 15 applications introduced since November 20023required a degree of interpretation in the light of the concrete circumstance of the disaster under scrutiny. Council requested the Commission to draw up a report on the method used in applying the Regulation during the first year of experience. Two points should be given particular attention: (1) the appropriateness and justification of the Commission’s method for determining in each case the amount of the aid, and (2) the way in which the Commission applied the specific criteria of the Regulation’s provisions for the exceptional mobilisation of the Fund for “regional disasters”4. The following report is therefore composed of two main parts: Part one looks at the activity of the Fund in 2002 and 2003. Part two focuses on the method developed by the Commission for applying the Regulation. Particular attention is paid to the criteria for extraordinary regional disasters and to the method for determining the amount of the aid.