Floods: EU reaction

Against floods and other types of natural disasters, the European Commission has set up special funds.

While Italy is badly affected by floods, it should be relevant to sheld light on the European Union Solidarity Fund.

EU Solidarity Fund history

This Finds has been implemented in order to express the European solidarity forwards devasted regions. It was firstly mobilized in response of floods which affected Central Europe in 2002. Since then, the Solidarity Fund was mobilized for 63 disasters whatever it was, floods, earthquakes and so on. 24 member states have already befitted from this fund of which amount is about 3.7 billion euro.  

How to apply?

To benefit from EUSF, an application must be sent in the 12 weeks before the first damages. It strongly encouraged to prepare one’s application early in direct contact with the person in charge in the DG for REGIONAL POLICY. One may hear precious advice to speed the procedure.

DG website is frequently updated as you can see by clicking here.

When application is accepted by the Commission, it proposes a certain amount to the Parliament and the Council which have to approve it before the aid being paid out. Once the aid is allocated to the affected State, the national management authority directly implements the operations, their audit and their control. However, operations may be paid retroactively from disaster day one.

European Commission
DG Regional and Urban Policy
Unit E1/EUSF
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium
+32 229-91111
 

Other responses?

The UESF may be the obvious response to natural catastrophes but it is not the only one.
For example, one call for proposals under IPA has been recently published to encourage building constructions for the Roms in flooded auras in Bosnia Herzegovina.
Finally, one should be aware of other instruments existing to prevent from natural risks?. Prevention projects are thus taking in account by Environment strand under LIFE programme and by the Scientific Excellence of Horizon 2020 “Climate action, environment, resources efficiency and raw materials”.