On Wednesday 18 December, the EU Council of Ministers adopted by written procedure two regulations aimed at helping Member States affected by natural disasters (see EUROPE 13547/25).
The regulation (https://aeur.eu/f/ewg ) on Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE) ensures that cohesion policy funds can be mobilised quickly for post-disaster reconstruction. The measures will benefit from an increased maximum cofinancing rate of 95% as well as an additional pre-financing rate of 25% in order to ease the budgetary pressure on the Member States affected. The resources available for reprogramming are capped at 10% of the initial total national allocation for the ERDF and ESF+.
Amendments to the Regulation (https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/PE-101-2024-INIT/en/pdf ) on the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) give Member States greater flexibility to provide emergency aid and targeted cash to farmers, foresters and businesses affected by natural disasters.
The aid can be 100% financed by unused EU funds from the EAFRD 2014-2020, in the form of lump sums of up to €42,000 per beneficiary. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)