Brussels, 31/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - In early November, the European Commission is to mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund to the tune of €160 million to help cover part of the expenses incurred by the government of the United Kingdom after the terrible floods of this summer. This was announced on Wednesday 31 October by Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, following a meeting in Brussels with John Healey, British Minister of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government.
“We are putting the finishing touches to the procedure” on the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund in favour of the United Kingdom, said Ms Hübner, who stated that the Commission will make its proposal in November, for immediate transmission to the Budgetary Authority (Council and Parliament). The first payments will be made to the government early in 2008, and the United Kingdom will have one year to spend the whole of the package, currently valued at €160 million of Community funds, the commissioner added.
This is the first time that the United Kingdom has made an application for help from the Solidarity Fund, which was brought in in 2002. Mr Healy welcomed this “contribution from the EU”, which will help to cover expenditure incurred by the government and demonstrate Europe's solidarity with the British flood victims. (L.C.)