Plenary session: Financial assistance to Member States and countries negotiating their accession (COVID-18)

Financial assistance to Member States and countries negotiating their accession to the Union that are seriously affected by a major public health emergency

I voted in favour of this report because, together with the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative, it is about using all possible options to quickly mobilise the European Union's resources to support Member States in need.

This proposal, addressed to the Member States, but also to countries trying to access the Union, consists of two actions: the extension of the EU Solidarity Fund to public health emergencies and the increase from 10% to 25% in the advance payments of the EU contribution, thus facilitating the rapid availability of EU financial assistance. The modification of the parameters in the EUSF will be on a permanent basis, while the modifications related to the IIRC are foreseen, for now, only for 2020.
Despite being just a relatively small part of the aid package, it is an important part since it enshrines the possibility of using pre-financing funds that have not been used up in 2019 and 2020. This runs counter to a basic principle of the EU budget which postulates that unused funds must return to the European budget. However, we are facing a clearly exceptional situation that deserves exceptional measures.

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