18/11/2016 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission received a request on Wednesday 16 November from Italy for EU solidarity funding following the earthquake which devastated the centre of the country in August of this year (see EUROPE 11610). The request was submitted within the permitted timescale (12 weeks after then natural disaster), a source points out. The Commission will now consider the application. This is expected to take a number of weeks. On Friday 18 November, the Commission gave the green light to Cyprus to apply to the EU solidarity fund for early payment of €730,000 – around 10% of the total sum due to be paid to it – to cover in part the damage caused by fires and drought this summer. Cyprus submitted its request for support on 5 September. (PH)