8.11.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 290/41 DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 October 2003 on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund in accordance with point 3 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commis- sion on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund, supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure (fires in Portugal) (2003/786/EC) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the financing of the European Union Solidarity Fund, supplementing the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure ('), and in particular point 3 thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (%), Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: (1) The European Union has created a European Union Soli- darity Fund (the ‘Fund’) to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters. (2)  Portugal submitted an application to mobilise the Fund on 13 August 2003, concerning a fire-related disaster. (3)  The Interinstitutional Agreement of 7 November 2002 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion. (4)  The fire-related disaster in Portugal meets the conditions for mobilising the Fund, HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Atrticle 1 For the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2003, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobi- lised to provide the sum of EUR 48,539 million in commit- ment appropriations. Atticle 2 This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Done at Brussels, 9 October 2003. For the European Parliament For the Council The President The President P. COX F. FRATTINI () O C 283, 20.11.2002, p. 1. () OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3.