Brussels, 19/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 18 October, nearly €700 million was approved by MEPs to help victims of the earthquakes in Italy, and workers made redundant in Germany and Denmark. The European Parliament budgets committee gave its green light for the payment of €670 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to victims of the earthquakes in Italy - although the damage is estimated at €13.3 billion by the Italian authorities. This is the second time this year that Italy will received financial support from the EUSF.
The second payment, of €12.8 million, will come from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). This sum will be shared between two countries that have suffered waves of substantial redundancies. Germany will receive a little over €5 million to compensate 2,103 employees from the printing machinery manufacturer Manroland AG, from two of its subsidiaries and from one of its suppliers, who have lost their jobs. Denmark will be given nearly €7.5 million for redundancies suffered in the wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Group.
These requests for aid still have to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council. (MD/transl.fl)