Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Romania and Italy in relation to natural disasters in 2022 and to Türkiye in relation to the earthquakes in February 2023

The European Parliament adopted by 593 votes to 11, with 22 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund to assist Romania and Italy following natural disasters in 2022 and Turkey following earthquakes in February 2023.

Parliament approved the decision to mobilise, within the framework of the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2023, the following amounts from the European Union Solidarity Fund in connection with natural disasters:

- EUR 33 895 935 for Romania in connection with the drought in summer 2022;

- EUR 20 939 095 for Italy in connection with the floods in the Marche region in September 2022;

- EUR 400 000 000 to Turkey in connection with the earthquakes in February 2023.

Parliament welcomed this decision as a concrete and visible expression of the Union's solidarity with its citizens and the regions in Romania, Italy and Turkey affected by the earthquakes. It reiterated the importance of informing the public of the tangible benefits of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF).

Stressing that extreme weather events will increase in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change, and that the EUSF is only a curative instrument, Members called on the EU to redouble its efforts to combat climate change both within the Union and globally.

The Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) is constantly exhausted and does therefore not enough to compensate the consequences of man-made and natural disasters particularly disasters related to climate change. Parliament reiterated that the available resources for EUSF should be increased substantially as part of the mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework and urged the Commission to increase the budget of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) and to substantially reinforce the annual budget of the EUSF.

The Commission is urged to come forward with a model for faster and timely mobilisation of the EUSF including the treatment of the applications, so as to allow the relevant authorities to address the restauration needs as soon as possible. It stressed the urgent need to release financial assistance through the EUSF to ensure that support can reach the affected regions in a timely manner and provide the necessary assistance for the operations concerned, as requested by the Member States, such as for infrastructure rehabilitation, rescue services, including firefighting actions, restoration of the affected agricultural areas and provision of water.