Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Spain regarding the floods in the Valencia Region of Spain in October 2024 and France following the damages caused by cyclone Chido in Mayotte in December 2024 and cyclone Garance in Réunion in February 2025

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10.11.2025 A100215/1

Amendment 1

Julien Sanchez, Angéline Furet

on behalf of the PfE Group

Report A100215/2025

Sandra Gómez López

Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Spain regarding the floods in the Valencia Region of Spain in October 2024 and France following the damages caused by cyclone Chido in Mayotte in December 2024 and cyclone Garance in Réunion in February 2025

(COM(2025)0855 – C10-0239/2025 – 2025/0318(BUD))

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4a. Notes that in the cases of La Réunion and Mayotte, the disasters identified by the Union as “regional disasters” gave rise to European aid under the Solidarity Fund (EUSF) amounting to 2,5 % of the total direct damage, and that in the case of Valencia, the disaster identified as a “major disaster” gave rise to 5,23 % of the total direct damage; observes that these aid rates are negligible given the scale of the challenges, as the total EUSF assistance for these three disasters barely exceeds EUR 1 billion, while the direct damages amount to over EUR 22 billion; points out that the weakness of those aid amounts is striking, especially considering the ease with which the Union simultaneously finds resources to assist non-member countries under the Neighbourhood Instrument, humanitarian aid, or other tailor-made special instruments, thereby giving citizens of the Union the absurd impression that the Union prefers to help others before helping its own, despite an already constrained budgetary context;

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10.11.2025 A100215/2

Amendment 2

Angéline Furet

on behalf of the PfE Group

Report A100215/2025

Sandra Gómez López

(COM(2025)0855 – C10-0239/2025 – 2025/0318(BUD))

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4. Highlights the increasing number of severe, destructive and deadly natural disasters in Europe and calls on Member States and the Commission to increase investments in prevention, public infrastructure, climate mitigation and adaptation as well as emergency preparedness measures to avoid human and economic losses; calls on Member States to take into consideration that climate risks and other natural disasters disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and small and medium enterprises due to socio-economic and demographic factors as well as vulnerable territories such as outermost regions; considers that it is essential to ensure a high level of democratic scrutiny by the budgetary authority of the EUSF; recalls that the EUSF has a limited budget and cannot be regarded as the sole instrument for addressing major natural disasters; calls therefore for an assessment of the Union budget’s financial capacity and for consideration of a possible increase in its resources in order to provide assistance commensurate to the magnitude of such disasters to citizens; notes that increasing this kind of assistance 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;

4. Highlights the increasing number of severe, destructive and deadly natural disasters in Europe and calls on Member States and the Commission to increase investments in prevention, appropriate public infrastructure, as well as measures to build resilience and prepare the population for emergency situations in order to avoid human and economic losses; calls on Member States to take into consideration that climate risks and other natural disasters disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and small and medium enterprises due to socio-economic and demographic factors as well as vulnerable territories such as outermost regions; considers that it is essential to ensure a high level of democratic scrutiny by the budgetary authority of the EUSF; recalls that the EUSF has a limited budget and cannot be regarded as the sole instrument for addressing major natural disasters; calls therefore for an assessment of the Union budget’s financial capacity and for consideration of a possible increase in its resources in order to provide assistance commensurate to the magnitude of such disasters to citizens; notes that increasing this kind of assistance 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;

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10.11.2025 A100215/3

Amendment 3

Angéline Furet

on behalf of the PfE Group

Report A100215/2025

Sandra Gómez López

(COM(2025)0855 – C10-0239/2025 – 2025/0318(BUD))

Motion for a resolution

Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

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 as well as underpinning the “build back better” principle in all its actions; underlines that 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 the climate risks identified reaching 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 Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council1, especially when taking into account the high percentage of resources from this mechanism that are still unspent; 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; further stresses the risks that extreme weather and natural disasters such as heatwaves possess for the public health across Europe and calls on the Commission to consider this aspect in relevant policies; encourages the use of innovative digital tools, satellite data (e.g. Copernicus), and early-warning systems to enhance disaster preparedness; underlines the importance of adequate flexibility between the different programmes; underscores that assistance provided under the EUSF should not be to the detriment of Union funding received by Member States under other Union policies or programmes; recalls that Member States can grant State aid, in accordance with the applicable Union rules, notably for agricultural businesses that have suffered damages due to natural disasters;

5. Stresses that the EUSF is only a curative instrument and that the Union should also continue to address the real causes of these disasters, and support national adaptation measures and policies aimed at preventing them; 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 Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council1, especially when taking into account the high percentage of resources from this mechanism that are still unspent; 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; further stresses the risks that extreme weather and natural disasters such as heatwaves possess for the public health across Europe and calls on the Commission to consider this aspect in relevant policies; encourages the use of innovative digital tools, satellite data (e.g. Copernicus), and early-warning systems to enhance disaster preparedness; underlines the importance of adequate flexibility between the different programmes; underscores that assistance provided under the EUSF should not be to the detriment of Union funding received by Member States under other Union policies or programmes; recalls that Member States can grant State aid, in accordance with the applicable Union rules, notably for agricultural businesses that have suffered damages due to natural disasters;

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1 Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/241/oj).

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