Support from the EU Solidarity Fund helps Slovenia and Greece recover from climate-related disasters

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the European Commission has paid more than €404 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to Slovenia and Greece to help them recover, repair, and rebuild after the devastating climate disasters that hit these countries in 2023.

The Commission paid €328 million in EUSF support to Slovenia to help the country recover from the floods that occurred in August and September of 2023. An additional €76 million was transferred to Greece to ease the financial burden of reconstruction efforts after the damage caused by cyclone ‘Daniel’ in September 2023.

Today’s payments come on top of two EUSF advance payments that were already paid to Slovenia and Greece to help kick-start recovery operations: a €100 million advance payment was paid to Slovenia while a €25 million advance payment was paid to Greece.

Therefore, the total amount of EUSF aid granted to Slovenia and Greece collectively amounts to around €529 million and is a tangible expression of the EU’s solidarity with Member States faced with unprecedented climate-related disasters.

The mobilisation of EUSF is based on applications submitted by eligible countries. The emergency and recovery operations may be financed by the EUSF retroactively from day one of the disaster. 

EU standing in solidarity with Slovenia and Greece as they recover and rebuild.

In August 2023, Slovenia experienced severe flooding caused by intense rainfall, which affected almost two-thirds of the country. The Sava, Drava, and Mura rivers burst their banks, with key infrastructure including roads and energy supplies damaged, as well as hundreds of private homes and public buildings. The flooding triggered landslides and resulted in significant economic losses.

In September 2023, Greece was struck by the devastating cyclone ‘Daniel’, which ravaged large parts of Greece, mainly in the regions of Thessaly and Central Greece. The cyclone was the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in recorded history, resulting in the widespread destruction of homes.

The EUSF support made available today will help Slovenia and Greece restore key infrastructure, in the fields of transport, water and wastewater, and will help fund temporary accommodation and rescue services.

Background

The EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) is the EU’s main instrument for post-disaster recovery and is a tangible expression of EU solidarity. It supports Member States and accession countries hit by climate-related disasters and, since 2020, major health emergencies.

Since 2002, the EUSF has mobilised over €8.6 billion for interventions in 130 disaster events (110 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) in 24 Member States (plus the United Kingdom) and four accession countries (Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, and Türkiye).

The Commission’s RESTORE proposal which proposes amendments to several funding regulations is another expression of the EU standing in solidarity with countries faced with climate-related disasters. The proposal is currently with the co-legislators for adoption.