EU: A € 1.02 billion financial aid was approved to deal with natural disasters – How much Greece will receive

Green light for 1028 height; EUR 54 million for Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France to deal with disasters, the Council of the European Union (EU) lit up. The EU institution has agreed today (23.09.2024) to mobilise the Solidarity Fund to provide financial aid to Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France for six natural disasters in 2023. Assistance will come from the EU budget for 2024. The EU Solidarity Fund will be mobilised for a total amount of EUR 1028.54 million in commitment and payment appropriations, including EUR 231.78 million in advance, of which respectively: EUR 446.64 million in aid to Italy due to flooding caused by extremely heavy rainfall in the Emilia region; Romania in May 2023 (378.83m euros), including the amount of 94.71m euros as an advance, and in the Tuscan region in October and November 2023 (67.81m euros). EUR 428,41 million for assistance to Slovenia due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall across the country in August 2023, including the amount of EUR 100 million as an advance of EUR 5,20 million for assistance to Austria due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall in its southern regions in August 2023. EUR 101.53 million for aid to Greece due to flooding caused by the Mediterranean storm “Daniel” in many areas of central Greece, in particular in the region of Thessaly, in September 2023, including the amount of EUR 25.38 million as an advance of EUR 46.76 million for aid to France due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in November 2023, including the amount of EUR 11.69 million as an advance In practice, once the decision comes into force, the EU will transfer money from its solidarity and emergency aid reserve to its budget for 2024 on the so-called operational line of the EU Solidarity Fund budget, from where it can be paid to countries that have applied for financial assistance from that fund after natural disasters.