Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Commission proposes to provide over €1 billion to support Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece, and France to recover from natural disasters.
How Will the EU’s €1 Billion Aid Be Allocated Among Affected Countries?
The European Commission has proposed over €1 billion in financial support from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to assist Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France deal with the effects of the severe floods that struck these countries in 2023.
What Are the Key Components of the €1 Billion EU Solidarity Fund Proposal?
According to the EU Commission, the aid package is assigned as follows: €378.8 million for Italy following the flood impairments to the Emilia-Romagna region in May 2023, and an extra €67.8 million for the Tuscany area following the floods in October and November 2023; €428.4 million for Slovenia and €5.2 million for Austria to manage the consequences of the floods in August 2023; €101.5 million for Greece to help recovery efforts following the surges in September 2023; and €46.7 million for France for flood harms caused to the Hauts-de-France area in November 2023.
The EUSF grant will cover part of the costs of emergency and recovery operations, including restoring damaged infrastructure, protecting cultural heritage, and conducting clean-up operations.
European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira stated: “The EU Solidarity Fund is a dedicated instrument to support Member States to recover after devastating natural disasters of major proportions, to stand in solidarity with those impacted. This aid not only provides relief and assistance for emergency costs but also helps EU countries to better rebuild in the context of the challenges posed by climate change.”
How Does the EU Solidarity Fund Support Long-Term Recovery and Infrastructure Repair?
This funding bid follows requests for EUSF assistance by the nations concerned. Once the EU Commission’s proposal is supported by the EU Parliament and the EU Council, the financial aid can be expended without delay and in a single instalment to each of the requesting governments. Since its beginning in 2002, the EUSF has mustered over €8.6 billion for 130 disasters (110 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) in 24 Member States (plus the UK), and four accession nations (Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Türkiye).
