Mizia, Bulgaria: torrential rains caused the Skat River to flood on August 3, 2014. ©BELGA_Defence Ministry of BulgariaItaly, Romania and Bulgaria should get €66.5 million in EU aid to help repair the damage done by severe floods in 2014, said the Budgets Committee on Tuesday. The aid still needs to be approved by Parliament as a whole.
| Country | Natural disaster | Date of disaster | Amount of aid (€) | DAB4/2015 rapporteur |
| Romania | Floods | April-May 2014 | 4,198,175 | Siegfried Mureşan |
| Romania | Floods | July-August 2014 | 4,297,775 | Siegfried Mureşan |
| Bulgaria | Floods | July-August 2014 | 1,983,600 | Siegfried Mureşan |
| Italy | Floods | October-November 2014 | 56,026,300 | Siegfried Mureşan |
The European Solidarity Fund aid will help the three countries to repair damage done to public and private infrastructure, private homes, businesses, agriculture, the environment, and cultural heritage, by the spring and summer floods (Romania), summer floods (Bulgaria) and autumn floods (Italy).
Italy, where besides the material loses there were 11 casualties, will receive €56 million, Romania €8.49 million and Bulgaria €1.98 million. The total direct damage cost an estimated €2 241 million in Italy, €339.8 in Romania and €79.3 in Bulgaria.
Background
The European Solidarity Fund was set up in November 2002 to help victims of natural disasters in regions in need of financial support. This is the first mobilisation decision of 2015. The Fund has a ceiling of 541.2 million for this year, to which an additional amount of 403.9 million unspent in 2014 may be added.
Next steps
Parliament as a whole will vote on the matter at the July plenary session. The Council of Ministers has already approved the aid.
In the chair: Mr Jean Arthuis (ALDE, FR)