Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

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on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania regarding the floods at the end of May 2025, Cyprus following the wildfires in July 2025 and Spain following the wildfires in August 2025

(COM(2026)1002 – C100119/2026 – 2026/0120(BUD))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2026)1002 – C100119/2026),

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

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027, and in particular Article 9 thereof,

– having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources, and in particular point 10 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013,

Changed– having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2024 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council RESTORE – Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057, and in particular the budgetary assessment attached to it,

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– having regard to the EEA Report No 1/2024 - European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA),

A. whereas, between 26 May and early June 2025, Romania was struck by heavy rains that caused severe flooding in the Centru, Sud Muntenia and Nord Est regions of Romania, resulting in total direct damage estimated by the Commission at EUR 573,59 million and affecting critical infrastructure, public services and thousands of households; whereas the floods caused extensive damage to the Praid Salt Mine and related hydrotechnical infrastructure;

B. whereas, in July 2025, Cyprus was hit by unprecedented wildfires in the Limassol and Pafos regions following prolonged drought, extreme heatwaves and strong winds, resulting in total direct damage estimated by the Commission at EUR 252,68 million; whereas the wildfires affected thousands of residents, destroyed close to 900 private properties and caused at least 2 fatalities;

C. whereas, in August 2025, Spain suffered a third wave of severe wildfires, with total direct damage estimated by the Commission at EUR 4,32 billion; whereas the fires affected 16 Autonomous Communities, caused major environmental, social and economic damage, and resulted in at least 8 fatalities;

Change 1

AddedD. whereas the increasing severity and frequency of floods and wildfires across Member States reflects the accelerating impacts of climate change, requiring strengthened Union action in adaptation, prevention and resilience measures;

1. Expresses its deepest solidarity with all the victims, their families and all the individuals affected by the floods in Romania in late May and early June 2025, as well as by the wildfires in Cyprus in July 2025 and in Spain in August 2025, and with the national, regional and local authorities involved in the relief efforts;

2. Welcomes the decision as a tangible and visible form of the Union’s solidarity with the citizens and regions affected by the floods and wildfires in Romania, Cyprus and Spain;

Change 2

Changed3. Reiterates the importance of communicating to the public the tangible benefits brought about by the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), also to further increase citizens’ awareness of Union tools and programmes;programmes and of European solidarity in times of crisis, especially in the affected areas;

Change 3

Removed4. Highlights the increasing number of severe, destructive and deadly natural disasters in Europe and calls on Member States and the Commission to invest in adaptation measures to avoid human and economic losses;

Added4. Recalls that the EUSF has a limited budget and cannot be regarded as the sole instrument for addressing major natural disasters; calls therefore for an assessment of the Union budget’s financial capacity; stresses the need of acceleration and simplification of all its procedures to ensure that aid reaches the affected areas as swiftly as possible;

Removed5. Stresses that the EUSF is only a curative instrument and that the Union should also continue to address climate change adaptation and mitigation by supporting European and national policies to prevent natural disasters; underlines that EEA Report No 1/2024 ‘European Climate Risk Assessment’ stresses the need for action to avoid the climate risks identified reaching critical levels; calls on Member States and the Commission to take the necessary measures to bring the Union to achieve the commitments made in the Paris Agreement; stresses also the need for preventive measures, not only to mitigate future damage but also to prevent the exacerbation of risk conditions following catastrophic events, such as floods, wildfires, landslides or the drying up of lakes and rivers; underlines the importance of adequate flexibility between the different programmes;

Added5. Highlights the increasing number of severe, destructive and deadly natural disasters in Europe and calls on Member States and the Commission to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation measures to avoid human and economic losses; calls on Members States to take into consideration that climate risks disproportionally affect vulnerable populations due to socio-economic factors; notes that Member States should prioritise recovery measures to support the affected populations, primarily the vulnerable communities, to ensure access to adequate housing and essential services during recovery; calls for efforts to be made to ensure that EUSF aid reaches its final recipients promptly, including businesses, SMEs, families, and affected citizens, as well as infrastructure reconstruction and material damage repair, all with the corresponding impact assessment and appropriate control mechanisms; highlights the importance of restoring and reinforcing critical infrastructure, including transport, energy, water management, health and communication networks, in order to enhance the resilience of affected regions and reduce vulnerability to future disasters;

Added6. Stresses that the EUSF is only a curative instrument and that the Union should also continue to address climate change adaptation and mitigation by supporting European and national policies to prevent natural disasters; underlines that EEA Report No 1/2024 ‘European Climate Risk Assessment’ stresses the need for action to the risks identified therein; calls on Member States and the Commission to continue efforts to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness and contribute to the implementation of commitments under the Paris Agreement, while ensuring effective disaster prevention, risk management and civil protection capacities across the Union; stresses also the need for preventive measures, not only to mitigate future damage but also to prevent the exacerbation of risk conditions following catastrophic events, such as floods, wildfires, landslides or the drying up of lakes and rivers; underlines the importance of adequate flexibility between the different programmes; underlines that any flexibility between different funding programmes must be accompanied by strict budgetary control to avoid the duplication or waste of funding, and must fully respect the principles of budgetary efficiency and targeted performance indicators;

7. Recalls that RESTORE and the specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters through further flexibilities in the use of the funds; stresses that Member States should make use of these opportunities;

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Changed7.8. Recalls the need for effective synergies with other Union policies and programmes and underlines that Member States should make best use of funding opportunities in particular, of the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund+ and the rural development programmes; calls on the Commission to assess with due urgency any reasoned requests by Member States to reallocate funds within the National Recovery and Resilience plans to natural disaster assistance, in accordance with the rules laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council; urges the relevant authorities to ensure the appropriate and necessary coordination between national, regional and local levels to guarantee that funds are distributed transparently, equitably, and without any arbitrariness across all affected localities;

9. Underscores that assistance provided under the EUSF should not be to the detriment of Union funding received by Member States under other Union policies or programmes; recalls that Member States can grant State aid, in accordance with the applicable Union rules, notably for agricultural businesses that have suffered damages due to natural disasters;

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Changed9.10. Recalls the importance of rapid and solid damage assessment that takes due account of the economic repercussions and calls for increased operational efforts to be made in order to reduce the average time for the release of advanced payments, while ensuring the Union budget is protected; stresses, in this regard, the need for full transparency, effective monitoring and ex-post control of the use of EUSF resources, in order to ensure that Union funds reach the affected regions and populations; urges also the Commission to explore all possible avenues for accelerating the mobilisation of the EUSF;

Change 6

Changed10.11. Stresses the urgent need to release immediate financial assistance through the EUSF to affected citizens, families, businesses and local communities as rapidly as possible to ensure that support can reach Romania, Cyprus and Spain in a timely manner; urges also the Commission to explore all possible avenues for accelerating the mobilisation of the EUSF, in particular by amending current rules and granting higher advance payments to applicant countries; stresses the importance of reducing the time between the submission of an application for EUSF assistance and the financing decision; underlines the need to simplify and accelerate internal procedures without undermining the institutional balance, in particular the rights of the European Parliament as one arm of the budgetary authority;

12. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

13. 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;

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