Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Spain and France in relation to natural disasters in 2024 and 2025

The European Parliament adopted by 622 votes to 10, with 3 abstentions, a resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Spain and France in relation to natural disasters in 2024 and 2025.

Parliament approved the decision annexed to the resolution to mobilise an amount of EUR 1 057 018 077 to assist Spain, following the floods that affected the Valencia region in October 2024, and France, following the damage caused by Cyclone Chido in Mayotte in December 2024 and by Cyclone Garance in Réunion in February 2025.

The European Union Solidarity Fund aims to enable the Union to respond rapidly, efficiently and flexibly to emergency situations to express its solidarity with the population of regions affected by major natural or regional disasters or a major public health emergency.

In its resolution, Parliament stressed the urgent need to release immediate financial assistance through the EUSF to ensure that support can reach the affected regions in a timely manner.

Highlighting the increasing number of severe and destructive natural disasters in Europe, Parliament also called on Member States and the Commission to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation measures to avoid human and economic losses.

The European Union Solidarity Fund will be mobilised as follows in commitment and payment appropriations in relation to natural disasters:

(a) EUR 946 153 691 to Spain to respond to the emergency situation resulting from the floods in October 2024;

(b) EUR 89 628 050 to France to respond to the emergency situation resulting from the damages caused by cyclone Chido in Mayotte in December 2024;

(c) EUR 21 236 336 to France to respond to the emergency situation resulting from the damages caused by cyclone Garance in Réunion in February 2025.

The resolution regretted that it takes an average of one year for the full amount of an EUSF grant to reach a beneficiary. It called for increased operational efforts to be made in order to reduce the average time for the release of advanced payments, while ensuring the Union budget is protected. Moreover, the methodology for calculating the total amount of the aid could better take into account the ratio between the total direct damage and the GNI of the territory affected, particularly when outermost regions are affected.

Lastly, Parliament recalled that the EUSF has a limited budget and cannot be regarded as the sole instrument for addressing major natural disasters. In this regard, it called for an assessment of the Union budget’s financial capacity and for consideration of a possible increase in its resources in order to provide assistance commensurate to the magnitude of such disasters to citizens.