The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2020)0200 – C9‑0127/2020),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund(1),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020(2), and in particular Article 10 thereof,

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management(3), and in particular point 11 thereof,

–  having regard to the letter from the Committee on Regional Development,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0105/2020),

1.  Welcomes the decision as a sign of the Union’s solidarity with the Union citizens and regions hit by natural disasters;

2.  Stresses the urgent need to release financial assistance through the European Union Solidarity Fund (the ‘Fund’) to the regions affected by natural disasters in the Union in 2019;

3.  Considers that the financial assistance released to the Member States shall be subject to a fair distribution to the most affected regions and areas;

4.  Points out that, due to climate change, natural disasters will become more and more violent and more and more frequent; calls for a reform of the Fund in the forthcoming multiannual financial framework in order to take into account the future consequences of climate change, while stressing that the Fund is only a curative instrument and that climate change requires primarily a preventive policy in line with the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal;

5.  Recalls that, according to Articles 174 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the European Union shall pursue actions leading to the strengthening of its territorial cohesion and taking into account the special characteristics and constraints of the outermost regions; points out that the same natural disaster in an outermost region has a greater social and economic impact than in any other European region and consequently the recovery is slower; believes, therefore, that the outermost regions should benefit from increased funding under the scope of the Fund;

6.  Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

7.  Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.

(1) OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3. (2) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. (3) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1.

on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Portugal, Spain, Italy and Austria

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2020/1076.)