On Monday 31 March, the European Commission made an advance payment to Spain of €100 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to help cover expenditure for damages caused by the Dana storm in October 2024 in the Valencia region.
The Commission specified that this was the maximum amount authorised (€100 million) as an advance under EU Solidarity Fund rules (see EUROPE 13528/11).
The official application for assistance from this fund, submitted by Spain in January 2025 for damages caused by the Dana storm, is currently being assessed by the Commission. Once this assessment is completed (it will take a few months), the Commission will present a proposal for the total amount to be granted from the EU Solidarity Fund to Spain. This proposal, which will take into account available EU funding, will then be examined by the EU Council and the European Parliament.
Solidarity Fund financing can be used to restore essential infrastructures such as energy, water, health, education or telecommunications systems, as well as for measures to protect cultural heritage or for clean-up operations. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)