The flags were flown at half-mast at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday 25 August, to pay tribute to the victims of the massive earthquake that devastated central Italy on Wednesday, leaving a death toll, still provisional, at more than 250 dead and hundreds more injured (EUROPE 11608).
On Thursday afternoon, the Italian authorities had not yet made a request for assistance under the civil protection mechanism of the EU, according to the European Commission.
"Rescue operations are still underway. The support requested via Copernicus has been provided. Nine satellite maps have been established to assess the damage in the worst-hit areas", said Alexandre Pollack, a spokesperson for the European Commission.
Belgium, through its foreign affairs minister, Didier Reynders, has already offered to mobilise the Belgian B-Fast rapid intervention team if a request for assistance is made.
The day before, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Christos Stylianides, spoke to Fabrizio Curcio, the head of civil protection in Italy, to reiterate the commitment to provide emergency support.
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, who has also spoken to Curcio, passed on the "condolences of her European colleagues" to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. She went on to stress that the EU "stands ready to mobilise all the resources and the instruments that are foreseen in circumstances of this kind". In a letter of condolence sent to the President and Prime Minister of Italy, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that he stood "ready to do everything in my power to help the Italian authorities and the Italian people at this time of grief and suffering".
Once the scale of the damage, which is expected to be considerable, has been assessed, the European Solidarity Fund may also be activated by request of the Italian authorities. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)