A €9.45 million grant to mitigate the impact on the local economy following the eruption of the La Palma volcano eruption in September 2021 was backed by the European Parliament’s Budgets Committee on Thursday.
In total, MEPs backed the use of €718.5 million from the EU Solidarity Fund in several Member States, of which €9.45 million will go to Spain, to help deal with the aftermath of the eruption, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. The EU had already advanced €5.39 million of that amount last May.
The specific aid package, which still has to be put to a vote in the Parliament plenary likely to take place between 12-15 December, was approved with 30 votes in favour, no votes against, and no abstentions.
In the case of La Palma volcano, Spain had reported total direct damage totalling €1 billion, equivalent to 2.19% of the Canary Islands’ GDP, which exceeds the threshold for regional disasters aid by the EU (€457 million in 2021 for the Canary Islands).
According to local authorities, 1,452 buildings were destroyed, including 1,177 residential buildings, and a large number of plantations (bananas, vineyards, avocados and citrus fruits) and livestock farms were also affected, MEPs said in a statement.
EU finance ministers also backed the Commission’s proposal to release €718 million to Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece, and Austria to repair damage caused by various natural disasters.
The aid relates to the floods that occurred during last year’s summer in Germany (€ 612.6 million), Belgium (€87.7 million), the Netherlands (€4.7 million), Luxembourg (€1.8 million), and Austria (€797,520).
Finally, Greece will receive €1.4 million in relief aid for the earthquake in Crete in September 2021.
The EU Solidarity Fund was established following the floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002, to assist countries in emergency and recovery efforts following natural disasters.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, its scope was extended in April 2020 to cover major public health emergencies.
(Julio Gálvez/EFE)
Source: euractiv.com
