An advance payment of €100 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for Slovenia’s reconstruction efforts after the August floods was approved by the EU Commission on Wednesday.
The aid will finance post-flood recovery, including critical infrastructure reconstruction, measures to protect cultural heritage and finance cleaning. The remaining €400 million will be given to Slovenia next year.
“We stand in solidarity with Slovenia, testament to the fact that this advance payment of €100 million is the maximum mobilised to date under the European Solidarity Fund,” said European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira.
The funds will be used to restore infrastructure to the condition it was in before the floods, while additional construction will be financed from other sources, according to State Secretary at the Ministry for Cohesion and Regional Development Andreja Katič.
The commission had eight weeks to approve the advance payment, but it did so in four weeks, added Cohesion Minister Aleksander Jevšek, who attributed the speed to the well-prepared application.
Slovenia applied for the aid on 20 October. While not necessary for the advance payment, the application must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council before additional aid is transferred. The government expects a decision to be reached in March or April.
(Sonja Debevc | sta.si)
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