Brussels, 25 October 2024
The Commission is today proposing €116 million in financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help Germany and Italy cope with the consequences of the severe floods that hit these countries in May and June 2024.
This funding proposal follows requests for EUSF intervention from the countries concerned, which have submitted damage assessments to the Commission, including an estimate of the damage suffered. The Commission’s funding proposal is therefore basedon these assessments and the specific thresholds set out in the Regulation. Therefore, the aid package would be as follows: €112.07 million for Germany following the damage caused by the floods in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg at the end of May 2024; and €3.96 million for Italy to support recovery efforts after the floods that hit the Valle d’Aosta region in June 2024.
The EUSF assistance will cover part of the costs of emergency and recovery operations, including the repair of damaged infrastructure and the securing of preventive infrastructure, the safeguarding of cultural heritage, as well as clean-up operations.
Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, said:
“The EU Solidarity Fund is a concrete example of European solidarity in action, putting people and regions first, and helping them recover from devastating natural disasters. It is a powerful tool to help our communities rebuild, providing relief in the event of a disaster, and strengthening Member States’ resilience to future climate-related disasters.”
Once the Commission’s proposal has been approved by the Parliament and the Council, the financial assistance can be disbursed in a single instalment. Emergency and recovery interventions can be funded retroactively from the first day of the disaster.
This proposal follows another funding proposal presented by the Commission in August 2024 to mobilise more than €1 billion to help Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France recover from recent natural disasters. The proposal was adopted by the Parliament and the Council in October 2024. The Commission is currently preparing the relevant implementing decisions.
Source – EU Commission (e-translated)