Article 4
1
As soon as possible and no later than 12 weeks after the first occurrence of damage as a consequence of a natural disaster, the responsible national authorities of an eligible State may submit an application for a financial contribution from the Fund to the Commission providing, as a minimum, all available information on:
a
the total direct damage caused by the natural disaster and its impact on the population, the economy and the environment concerned;
b
the estimated cost of the operations referred to in Article 3(2);
c
any other sources of Union funding;
d
any other sources of national or international funding, including public and private insurance coverage which might contribute to the costs of repairing the damage;
e
a short description of the implementation of Union legislation on disaster risk prevention and management related to the nature of the natural disaster.
1a
In justified cases the responsible national authorities may submit, after the deadline referred to in paragraph 1, additional information in order to complete or update their application.
1b
The Commission shall prepare guidance on how to access and implement the Fund effectively. The guidance shall be drawn up by
30 September 2014
and shall provide detailed information on the procedures for drafting the application, including requirements for the information to be submitted to the Commission. The guidance shall be made public on the websites of the relevant Directorate Generals of the Commission and the Commission shall ensure its wider dissemination to eligible States.
1c
In the event of a progressively unfolding natural disaster, the deadline referred to in paragraph 1 shall run from the date on which the public authorities of the eligible State take official action for the first time against the effects of the natural disaster or from the date they declare a state of emergency.
2
On the basis of the information referred to in paragraph 1, and any clarifications to be provided by the eligible State, the Commission shall assess whether the conditions for mobilising the Fund are met and shall determine the amount of any possible financial contribution from the Fund as quickly as possible and no later than six weeks after receipt of the application, counting from the date of receipt of the complete application and excluding the time needed for translation, within the limits of the financial resources available.
If the Commission decides on a financial contribution from the Fund based on an application received after
28 June 2014
for a natural disaster falling under the scope of this Regulation, it may reject a further application for a financial contribution relating to a natural disaster of the same nature or reduce the amount to be made available where the Member State is the subject of infringement proceedings and the Court of Justice of the European Union has delivered a final judgment that the Member State concerned has failed to implement Union legislation on disaster risk prevention and management, which is directly linked to the nature of the natural disaster suffered.
The Commission shall treat all applications for a financial contribution from the Fund in an equitable manner.
3
When the Commission has concluded that the conditions are met for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, the Commission shall without delay submit to the European Parliament and the Council the necessary proposals for mobilisation of the Fund and to authorise the corresponding appropriations. Those proposals shall include:
a
all available information, as referred to in paragraph 1;
b
all other relevant information in the possession of the Commission;
c
a demonstration that the conditions of Article 2 are met; and
d
a justification of the amounts proposed.
The decision to mobilise the Fund shall be taken jointly by the European Parliament and the Council as soon as possible after the submission of the proposal by the Commission.
Both the Commission, on the one hand, and the European Parliament and the Council, on the other hand, shall endeavour to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund.
4
Once the appropriations are made available by the European Parliament and the Council, the Commission shall adopt a decision, by means of an implementing act, awarding the financial contribution from the Fund and shall pay that financial contribution immediately and in a single instalment to the beneficiary State. If an advance has been paid pursuant to Article 4a only the balance shall be paid.
5
The eligibility period for expenditure shall begin on the date of the first occurrence of damage as referred to in paragraph 1. In the event of a progressively unfolding natural disaster, the eligibility period for expenditure shall begin on the date on which the public authorities of the eligible State take action for the first time or from the date they declare a state of emergency, as referred to in paragraph 1c.
Substituted by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund.
Inserted by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund.