Sittings · Document

DRAFT BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT (COM(2024)0495 – C100148/2024 – 2024/0274(COD)) 2024-11-14

On the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 as regards specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters

Committee on Budgets · Rapporteur: Hélder Sousa Silva

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

The Committee on Budgets assesses the proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 to provide extra EAFRD assistance to Member States hit by natural disasters. It notes budgetary implications, welcomes support for farmers and SMEs, and calls for more information on payment impacts.

Committee position. The Committee on Budgets provides a budgetary assessment, noting implications and requesting more information, but does not propose amendments or rejection.

Key points

  1. Notes the Commission claims the proposal is overall budgetary neutral in commitments, but observes budgetary implications.
  2. Recalls Parliament's calls for more EUSF resources and faster, simpler procedures for disaster support.
  3. Acknowledges the proposal as a pragmatic solution despite past criticism of using cohesion funds for emergencies.
  4. Accepts flexibility measures given slow absorption of rural development funds and execution rates below 75%.
  5. Assumes significant impact on 2025 and 2026 budgets due to frontloading; welcomes lower RAL but regrets lack of legislative financial statement; asks Commission for information.
  6. Notes low payments for 2021-2027 programmes and risk of exceeding payment ceilings; frontloading could alleviate pressure.
  7. Welcomes financial support to farmers, foresters, and SMEs affected by natural disasters.
  8. Recalls that 100% EU co-financing raises ownership questions but is justifiable for disaster relief.
  9. Reminds that lowering the non-regression threshold could reduce expenditure against mainstreaming targets, but flexibility is needed.
  10. Observes the measure also prevents de-commitments of 2021-2022 commitments, affecting the Cascade mechanism's Step 3a.
  11. Calls for more developed budgetary flexibility to enable transfers to better-suited instruments for emergency response.

Who is affected

  • Farmers, forest holders, and certain SMEs affected by natural disasters, receiving lump sum payments up to EUR 42 000.
  • Member States with slow absorption of rural development funds, benefiting from flexibility measures.

Figures and deadlines

  • Lump sum payments of up to EUR 42 000 per beneficiary.
  • Execution rates of less than 75% on several budget lines.

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.