Brussels, 27/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - The EU solidarity fund is to provide €47 million to compensate the damage caused by natural disasters in Italy, Greece Slovenia and Croatia in late 2013 and early 2014, European Commissioner for Regional Development Johannes Hahn announced on Wednesday 27 August.
An envelope of €16.3 million will be made available to Italy, after torrential rain, causing floods and landslides, seriously damaged the road and distribution network in Sardinia in November of last year.
Greece will receive €3.7 million following an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 on the Richter scale which hit Kefalonia in late January. The after-shocks were felt for months afterwards, to the extent that around 100 houses had to be demolished and many other buildings have been left uninhabitable. The impact has been disastrous for social infrastructure, business activities and tourism.
Slovenia and Croatia will receive €18.4 million and €8.6 million respectively, to cover the costs caused by an ice storm earlier this year. The electricity and transport networks in both countries were damaged.
The money proposed by the European Commission, which will be taken from the budget of the EU solidarity fund, will be used to cover the emergency expenditure made by the public authorities following the disasters and to reimburse the costs of emergency, rescue and clean-up operations in the regions affected. However, the amounts will not be paid until the European Parliament and the Council have approved the operation.
The Commissioner's decision to grant this money “reflects the very nature of this Fund, which is solidarity with our fellow member states and neighbours in their time of need after natural disasters”, he said. He added that the amounts were “specific and targeted” to help the countries concerned. (MD)