Brussels mobilizes funds for six regions affected by natural disasters in 2023. Why did it take so long?

Translated by Valeria D’Alessandro

On October 8th the European Parliament approved the use of the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to provide financial support to Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France, which were affected by natural disasters in 2023.

The extent of the damage

In Italy, the flood in Emilia-Romagna in May 2023 caused extensive damage to infrastructure and crops, resulting in 17 casualties and displacing thousands of people. The region experienced un unprecedent agricultural and water crisis, with economic losses estimated in billions of euros. Additionally, Tuscany was impacted by floods between October and November 2023, further exacerbating the situation in the country.

Slovenia and Austria faced similar destruction in August 2023: roads, bridges and crops were destroyed, and thousands of people were displaced. In addition, significant structural damage occurred, requiring substantial investments for reconstruction. In Greece, torrential rains in September 2023 submerged entire villages in the Thessaly region, resulting in 15 casualties and crippling the agriculture sector. Finally, the Hauts-de-France region in France was affected by floods in November 2023, causing severe damage to homes and local infrastructures.

How does the EU Solidarity Fund work?

The EUSF is a financial tool created in 2002 to respond to major natural disasters in Europe. Member states or accession countries can request assistance to cover emergency and reconstruction costs. The fund helps repair essential infrastructures, such as roads and water networks, provides temporary assistance to affected populations, and contributes to the restoration of devastated areas. However, to access the fund, the damage must exceed specific threshold, defined as 0.6% of country’s GPD, or 3 billion euros (based on 2022 prices).

What do they receive?

In the specific case of 2023 catastrophes, the humanitarian aid package amounts to over one billion euros. Italy will receive 446.6 million euros, with the majority allocated to Emilia-Romagna (378.8 million), while Tuscany will receive 67.8 million. Slovenia will receive 428.4 million, Austria 5.2 million, Greece 101.5 million and France 46.7 million.

Opposition’s critiques

Despite broad support within the European Parliament, the decision sparked debate, particularly from the group Identity and Democracy (ID), leading some parties to abstain or vote against it. Eurosceptics had already expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the fund distribution and called for greater transparency in allocating the financial aids. Other opponents argued that the EU should not intervein with community funds on matters that could be managed at the national level. Additionally, some opposition parties abstained, criticizing the delays in distributing the funds, arguing that the system should be reformed to provide quicker and more efficient support.

The mechanism is slow, 2024 catastrophes will have to wait

The mobilization of EUSF for 2023 catastrophes faced several delays, with funds approved a year after the events. These delays are largely due to the complexity of bureaucratic requirements, including the need to assess requests and gather data on the actual damage. This issue has been raised by several member states and independent observers. Italy and Slovenia, in particular, requested intervention as early as this summer, but approval only came in autumn, prompting criticism from organizations such as Coldiretti in Italy.

In 2024, additional natural disasters affected Europe, but the EUSF has not been requested for all events yet. For example, it is unclear how long Spain and Portugal will have to wait for assistance following the forest fires that recently devastated crops in several regions.

These crises are testing EU’s ability to response promptly and are highlight the need for a structural reform in disaster management and the allocation of emergency funds.

The decision to allocate over one billion euros is undoubtedly significant in helping countries affected by 2023 natural disasters recover from their aftermath. However, it also highlights the challenges and limitation of the EU’s current response mechanism in addressing increasingly frequent climatic emergencies.

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2024