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(1) The European Union Solidarity Fund (‘the Fund’) aims to enable the Union to respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner to emergency situations in order to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by natural disasters.

(2) The Fund is not to exceed a maximum annual amount of EUR 500 000 000 (2011 prices), as laid down in Article 10 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 .

(3) On 14 November 2017, Latvia submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following a long-lasting period of intense rainfalls during summer and autumn 2017 leading to the saturation of soils and subsequent flooding.

(4) The application by Latvia meets the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002.

(5) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to Latvia.

(6) By Decision (EU) 2018/508 of the European Parliament and of the Council , the Fund was mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 50 000 000 in commitment and payment appropriations for the payment of advances for the financial year 2018. Those appropriations have only been used to a very limited extent. Consequently, there is scope for financing the full amount for the present mobilisation through the reallocation of the appropriations mobilised for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2018.

(7) In order to minimise the time taken to mobilise the Fund, this Decision should apply from the date of its adoption,