Over €116 million in EUSF aid for Germany and Italy following floods in 2024

Support from the EU Solidarity Fund for Germany and Italy, following floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and in the Valle d’Aosta

Assistance will cover part of the costs of emergency and recovery operations

Appropriate aid from the EU should be significantly expanded in view of the increasing number of natural disasters in Europe, MEPs say

On Thursday, Budget Committee MEPs approved €116 billion in EU Solidarity Fund aid to support recovery efforts in two EU countries relating to floods that occurred in 2024.

The €116,031,553 in aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) will be distributed as follows:

Germany (Southern Germany) - floods that occurred in May 2024: total amount of EUR 112.1 million;

Italy (Valle d‘Aosta) - floods that occurred in June 2024: total amount of EUR 4 million.

The EUSF assistance will cover part of the costs of emergency and recovery operations, including repairing damaged infrastructure, safeguarding cultural heritage, and conducting clean-up operations.

Members of the Committee on Budgets express their “deepest solidarity with all the victims, their families and all the individuals affected by the destructive floods in Germany and Italy as well as with the national, regional and local authorities involved in the relief efforts”. They point to the “increasing number of severe, destructive and deadly natural disasters in Europe" and consider that the “budget of the EUSF or its equivalent should be significantly expanded in view of the upcoming Commission proposal on the new Multiannual Financial Framework”.

The aid package was approved by 29 votes in favour, 1 vote against and no abstentions.

More information can be found here  (Commission proposal) and in the  EP draft report  by rapporteur  Giuseppe Lupo (S&D, IT), who recommends approving the EUSF assistance.

Next steps

The full house will vote on the assistance in an upcoming plenary session in Strasbourg. Once the Commission's proposal is approved by Parliament and Council, the financial aid can be disbursed without delay.

Background

Since its inception in 2002, the EUSF has mobilised over €8.6 billion for 130 disasters (110 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) in 24 Member States (plus the UK), and four accession countries (Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Türkiye).