Brussels, 23/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Parliament and Council will soon begin negotiations on reform of the European Solidarity Fund (ESF). The fund seeks to provide compensation for regions that have suffered from natural disasters. On Wednesday 22 January, the European Parliament's regional development committee (REGI) approved the draft regulation tabled by the Commission last summer and adopted its negotiating mandate.
Rosa Estaras Ferragut (EPP, Spain) said that the level of the European Commission's ambitions to make this fund more efficient had been raised and supported by the REGI committee members. MEPs are proposing that damages of more than 1% of the GDP of the regions affected be eligible for the ESF support, as opposed to the 1.5% planned by the Commission. The MEPs are also proposing that the regions are able to send in their request up to 15 weeks after the disaster, as opposed to the ten weeks suggested by the Commission. Following reception of the request for ESF assistance, MEPs want the Commission to proceed with payment, to be calculated on the basis of the costs of the damages, within six weeks. The Commission pledged to pay out “as quicklly as possible”. MEPs had, in a previous resolution, already criticised payment delays which can last several months sometimes (see EUROPE 10881). The Greek Presidency has demonstrated its intention to begin negotiations soon (in the middle of February) and conclude them before the elections. (MD/transl.fl)