EC grants Croatia EUR 8.6 million in aid to address consequences of ice stormZagreb/Brussels, 27 August 2014 (MIA) - The European Union Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, on Wednesday announced an aid package worth nearly 47 million euros for Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia after a series of natural disasters had struck those countries in late 2013 and early 2014.
Croatia will receive EUR 8.6 million from the EU Solidarity Fund for its Gorski Kotar region which was seriously hit by an ice storm early this year. Slovenia, which was affected even worse by the same disaster, has been granted EUR 18.4 million, Hina news agency reported.
EUR 16.3 million will go to Italy to deal with the consequences of serious flooding that hit Sardinia in late 2013, while Greece has been awarded EUR 3.7 million to address the damage caused by an earthquake in Kefalonia and the Ionian Islands early this year.
"This decision reflects the very nature of this Fund, which is solidarity with our fellow Member States and neighbours in their time of need after natural disasters. The European Solidarity Fund helps these countries get back on their feet and regain stability which is threatened by the severe damage to economic sectors such as tourism, or destruction of essential infrastructure. The amount of funding proposed will enable Italy, Greece, Slovenia and Croatia to recover from their respective disasters and reimburse rescue costs in the affected regions," Hahn said.
The aid package needs to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council.
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