On Tuesday, September, 3rd 2019, Budgets Committee Members approved €293.5 million in EU Solidarity Fund aid following extreme weather events in Austria, Italy and Romania in 2018.

The €293.5 million in aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) breaks down as follows:
– €277.2 million for Italy following heavy rains, strong winds, floods and landslides in the autumn of 2018;
– €8.1 million for Austria following the same meteorological events
– €8.2 million for the North East region in Romania after the summer 2018 floods.

This was adopted by 35 votes in favour, one against and three abstentions.

MEPs also approved, by 31 votes in favour, 7 against and one abstention, a €100 million boost to the EU’s flagship programmes Horizon 2020 (€80 million for research funding) and Erasmus+ (€20 million for youth mobility) as decided by the European Parliament and the Council in their agreement on the 2019 EU budget in December 2018.