What changed

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

– having regard to its resolution of 18 May 2021 on the review of the European Union Solidarity Fund,

– having regard to the EEA Report No 1/2024 - European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA),

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A100162/2024),

A. whereas on 30 May 2024, Germany was hit by torrential rain causing extreme flooding in Southern Germany at the beginning of June resulting in six fatalities and total direct damages of EUR 4 131.6 million according to the Commission;

B. whereas on 29 June 2024, Italy suffered violent storms leading to the overflow of rivers and streams in the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta resulting in total direct damages estimated by the Italian authorities at EUR 158.39 million;

3. Reiterates the importance of communicating to the public the tangible benefits brought about by the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), also to further increase citizens’ awareness of Union tools and programmes;

4. Highlights the increasing number of severesevere, destructive and destructivedeadly natural disasters in Europe;Europe and calls on Member States and Commission to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation measures to avoid human and economic losses; considers that the budget of the EUSF or its equivalent should be significantly expanded in view of the upcoming Commission proposal on the new Multiannual Financial Framework and subsequent inter-institutional negotiations;negotiations and that the EUSF or its equivalent must provide assistance commensurate to the magnitude of such disasters to citizens; notes that substantially increasing the EUSF would allow Member States to respond more effectively and quickly to disasters while other instruments, particularly cohesion funds whose primary purpose is not disaster response, could be preserved;

5. Stresses that the EUSF is only a curative instrument and that the Union should also continue to address climate change adaptation and mitigation by supporting European and national policies to prevent natural disasters; underlines that the EEA Report No 1/2024 ‘European Climate Risk Assessment’ warned that the Union is unprepared for the effects of climate change and stresses the need for action to avoid that the climate risks identified reach critical levels; recalls the need for effective synergies with other Union policies and programmes and underlines that Member States should make best use of funding opportunities in particular, of the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund+ and the Rural development programmes; underscores that assistance provided under the EUSF should not be to the detriment of European funding received by Member States under other Union policies or programmes;

4a Stresses the significant damage caused by floods to agricultural land and farms, transportation infrastructure and particularly small villages and towns outside of urban regions; stresses that, due to climate change, islands and coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to natural calamities; acknowledges that phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, and droughts - which also affect lakes and rivers - represent an increasing threat to many European regions, particularly those in the Mediterranean; questions whether the EUSF is adequately aligned with the emergency needs related to climate adaptation in these particularly fragile territories; therefore, believes that islands and coastal regions should receive adequate funding within the framework of the EUSF to address their specific vulnerabilities; calls on Member States to take into consideration that vulnerable populations are particularly affected by natural disasters due to socio-economic factors further hampering their ability to recover;

5. Stresses that the EUSF is only a curative instrument and that the Union should also continue to address climate change adaptation and mitigation by supporting European and national policies to prevent natural disasters; underlines that the EEA Report No 1/2024 ‘European Climate Risk Assessment’ warned that the Union is unprepared for the effects of climate change and stresses the need for action to avoid that the climate risks identified reach critical levels; calls on Member States and the Commission to take the necessary measures to bring the Union to achieve the commitments made in the Paris agreement; recalls the need for effective synergies with other Union policies and programmes and underlines that Member States should make best use of funding opportunities in particular, of the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund + and the Rural development programmes; calls on the Commission to assess with due urgency any reasoned requests by Member States to reallocate funds within the National Recovery and Resilience plans to natural disaster assistance, in accordance with the rules laid down in the RRF Regulation; stresses also the need for preventive measures, not only to mitigate future damage but also to prevent the exacerbation of risk conditions following catastrophic events, such as floods, wildfires, landslides or the drying up of lakes and rivers; underlines the importance of adequate flexibility between the different programmes; underscores that assistance provided under the EUSF should not be to the detriment of European funding received by Member States under other Union programmes or policies; recalls that Member States can grant state aid, in accordance with applicable Union rules, notably for agricultural businesses that have suffered damages due to natural disasters;

6. Notes that the Commission has submitted on 21 October 2024 a legislative proposal for regional emergency support to reconstruction following a natural disaster and for specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters with the aim to provide further flexibilities in the use of the funds;

ANNEX: DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Rapporteur recommends the swift approval of the Commission proposal for a decision annexed to this report, leading to the rapid mobilisation of the aforementioned amounts, as a sign of European solidarity with Germany and Italy. The rapporteur calls on the Commission that this financial contribution should be delivered with particular urgency.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee:

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE