Brussels, 23/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Financial aid of €19.5 million in favour of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia received the support of the Council on Monday 23 May. This is an operation under the Solidarity Fund for these countries, which were very hard hit by flooding in August and September 2010. The Council adopted (Poland, Portugal and Spain abstained) its position on the draft rectifying budget no. 2 to the general budget for 2011, which concerns the assistance of the Solidarity Fund of the EU for these countries, and a decision allowing the sum of €19,546,647 in commitment and payment appropriations to be mobilised.
The Council decided to use the redeployments of credits to cover the corresponding payment appropriations as follows: - for the Czech Republic and Slovenia: transfer €9,800,000 from Article 04 02 01 (Completion of the ESF - Objective no. 1 (2000 to 2006) plus €8,570,576 from Article 04 02 06 (Completion of the ESF - Objective no. 3 (2000 to 2006)); - for Croatia: transfer €1,175,071 from position 22 02 07 01 (Regional and horizontal programmes). The texts have been submitted to the European Parliament for approval. (L.C./transl.fl)