Brussels, 20/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 15 June, the European Parliament's budgets committee proposed a solution on how to fund the €19.5 million in financial support for Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic, which were hit hard by flooding in 2010.
The EP budgets committee rejects the Council proposal that €19.5 million be transferred from the European Social Fund (ESF). It supports the European Commission's proposal that some of the €352 million that have not been spent under the “energy” section of the European economic recovery plan be used. They also support the proposal by the rapporteur on this issue, Sidonia El¿bieta Jêdrzejewska (EPP, Poland) that the unspent €182.4 million from these funds which were initially allocated to energy, to repay the so-called “negative reserve” previously used for the Solidarity Fund be used. The Parliamentary committee also supports the proposal by Jêdrzejewska to add €50 million from these unused funds to add to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).
Jêdrzejewska believes that this is the best way of tackling all three issues: compensation for Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic, balancing the negative reserve and bolstering the EGF. She concluded: “I hope that the Council will share our position”. (L.C./transl.fl)