STORY
The European Commission has proposed mobilising €144 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund to help Spain, Romania and Cyprus recover from climate-related disasters. The funding would support reconstruction and recovery after major natural disasters in 2025.
The Solidarity Fund is used to support member states and accession countries dealing with severe natural disasters and major public health emergencies. In this case, the proposed support is intended to help rebuild damaged infrastructure and reduce the immediate burden on national authorities.
The proposal will need approval through the EU budgetary process before the money can be disbursed. It also reflects a wider political challenge for the EU as climate-related disasters become more frequent and the bloc faces competing demands for spending on defence, competitiveness and resilience.