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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 26 February 2016, the United Kingdom submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following floods that affected 11 regions during the period of December 2015 to January 2016. In their application the authorities of the United Kingdom stressed that the damage assessment was incomplete and that the relevant figures were only provisional. The final application file was completed on 22 September 2016.

(4) On 5 September 2016, Cyprus submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following the consequences of severe drought built up since October 2015 and wild fires on 18 and 19 of June 2016.

(5) On 21 September 2016, Portugal submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following wild fires in the island of Madeira between 8 and 13 August 2016.

(6) The applications by the United Kingdom, Cyprus and Portugal meet the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002.

(7) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to United Kingdom, Cyprus and Portugal.

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