On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania regarding the floods at the end of May 2025, Cyprus following the wildfires in July 2025 and Spain following the wildfires in August 2025

PR_BUD_Funds

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania regarding the floods at the end of May 2025, Cyprus following the wildfires in July 2025 and Spain following the wildfires in August 2025

(COM(2026)1002 – C100119/2026 – 2026/0120(BUD))

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2026)1002 – C100119/2026),

– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund,

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027, and in particular Article 9 thereof,

– having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources, and in particular point 10 thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013,

– having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2024 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council RESTORE – Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057, and in particular the budgetary assessment attached to it,

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

A. whereas, between 26 May and early June 2025, Romania was struck by heavy rains that caused severe flooding in the Centru, Sud Muntenia and Nord Est regions of Romania, resulting in total direct damage estimated by the Commission at EUR 573,59 million and affecting critical infrastructure, public services and thousands of households; whereas the floods caused extensive damage to the Praid Salt Mine and related hydrotechnical infrastructure;

B. whereas, in July 2025, Cyprus was hit by unprecedented wildfires in the Limassol and Pafos regions following prolonged drought, extreme heatwaves and strong winds, resulting in total direct damage estimated by the Commission at EUR 252,68 million; whereas the wildfires affected thousands of residents, destroyed close to 900 private properties and caused at least 2 fatalities;

C. whereas, in August 2025, Spain suffered a third wave of severe wildfires, with total direct damage estimated by the Commission at EUR 4,32 billion; whereas the fires affected 16 Autonomous Communities, caused major environmental, social and economic damage, and resulted in at least 8 fatalities;

D. whereas the increasing severity and frequency of floods and wildfires across Member States reflects the accelerating impacts of climate change, requiring strengthened Union action in adaptation, prevention and resilience measures;

1. Expresses its deepest solidarity with all the victims, their families and all the individuals affected by the floods in Romania in late May and early June 2025, as well as by the wildfires in Cyprus in July 2025 and in Spain in August 2025, and with the national, regional and local authorities involved in the relief efforts;

2. Welcomes the decision as a tangible and visible form of the Union’s solidarity with the citizens and regions affected by the floods and wildfires in Romania, Cyprus and Spain;

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 and of European solidarity in times of crisis, especially in the affected areas;

4. 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; stresses the need of acceleration and simplification of all its procedures to ensure that aid reaches the affected areas as swiftly as possible;

5. Highlights the increasing number of severe, destructive and deadly natural disasters in Europe and calls on Member States and the Commission to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation measures to avoid human and economic losses; calls on Members States to take into consideration that climate risks disproportionally affect vulnerable populations due to socio-economic factors; notes that Member States should prioritise recovery measures to support the affected populations, primarily the vulnerable communities, to ensure access to adequate housing and essential services during recovery; calls for efforts to be made to ensure that EUSF aid reaches its final recipients promptly, including businesses, SMEs, families, and affected citizens, as well as infrastructure reconstruction and material damage repair, all with the corresponding impact assessment and appropriate control mechanisms; highlights the importance of restoring and reinforcing critical infrastructure, including transport, energy, water management, health and communication networks, in order to enhance the resilience of affected regions and reduce vulnerability to future disasters;

6. 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 EEA Report No 1/2024 ‘European Climate Risk Assessment’ stresses the need for action to the risks identified therein; calls on Member States and the Commission to continue efforts to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness and contribute to the implementation of commitments under the Paris Agreement, while ensuring effective disaster prevention, risk management and civil protection capacities across the Union; 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; underlines that any flexibility between different funding programmes must be accompanied by strict budgetary control to avoid the duplication or waste of funding, and must fully respect the principles of budgetary efficiency and targeted performance indicators;

7. Recalls that RESTORE and the specific measures under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters through further flexibilities in the use of the funds; stresses that Member States should make use of these opportunities;

8. 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 Council; urges the relevant authorities to ensure the appropriate and necessary coordination between national, regional and local levels to guarantee that funds are distributed transparently, equitably, and without any arbitrariness across all affected localities;

9. 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;

10. Recalls the importance of rapid and solid damage assessment that takes due account of the economic repercussions and calls for increased operational efforts to be made in order to reduce the average time for the release of advanced payments, while ensuring the Union budget is protected; stresses, in this regard, the need for full transparency, effective monitoring and ex-post control of the use of EUSF resources, in order to ensure that Union funds reach the affected regions and populations; urges also the Commission to explore all possible avenues for accelerating the mobilisation of the EUSF;

11. Stresses the urgent need to release immediate financial assistance through the EUSF to affected citizens, families, businesses and local communities as rapidly as possible to ensure that support can reach Romania, Cyprus and Spain in a timely manner; urges also the Commission to explore all possible avenues for accelerating the mobilisation of the EUSF, in particular by amending current rules and granting higher advance payments to applicant countries; stresses the importance of reducing the time between the submission of an application for EUSF assistance and the financing decision; underlines the need to simplify and accelerate internal procedures without undermining the institutional balance, in particular the rights of the European Parliament as one arm of the budgetary authority;

12. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

13. Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and the Commission.

ANNEX: DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania regarding the floods at the end of May 2025, Cyprus following the wildfires in July 2025 and Spain following the wildfires in August 2025

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund, and in particular Article 4(3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027, and in particular Article 9 thereof,

Having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources, and in particular point 10 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The European Union Solidarity Fund ('the Fund') aims to enable the Union to respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner to emergency situations in order to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by major or regional natural disasters or major public health emergency.

(2) The Fund is not to exceed the ceilings laid down in Article 9 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093, as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765.

(3) On 14 August 2025, Romania submitted an application to mobilise the Fund following the floods at the end of May and the beginning of June 2025.

(4) On 14 October 2025, Cyprus submitted an application to mobilise the Fund following the wildfires in July 2025.

(5) On 30 October 2025, Spain submitted an application to mobilise the Fund following the wildfires in August 2025.

(6) Those applications meet the conditions for providing a financial contribution from the Fund, as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002.

(7) The Fund should therefore be mobilised in order to provide a financial contribution to Romania, Cyprus and Spain.

(8) In order to ensure that the Union financial assistance can be made available as rapidly as possible to the Member States affected and to avoid any delay in the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, this Decision should enter into force as a matter of urgency on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and should apply from the date of its adoption,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2026, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised as follows in commitment and payment appropriations in relation to natural disasters:

(a) the amount of EUR 14 339 675 shall be provided to Romania following the floods at the end of May and the beginning of June 2025;

(b) the amount of EUR 9 209 223 shall be provided to Cyprus following the wildfires in July 2025;

(c) the amount of EUR 120 550 858 shall be provided to Spain following the wildfires in August 2025.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from [the date of its adoption]*.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament For the Council

The President The President

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Commission proposes to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 for an amount of EUR 144 099 756 to provide assistance to Romania following the floods at the end of May 2025, Cyprus following the wildfires in July 2025 and Spain following the wildfires in August 2025.

Romania – regional natural disaster: floods starting on 27 May 2025

Between 26 May and early June 2025, Romania experienced several days of heavy rains which led to flooding in the Centru, Sud Muntenia and Nord Est regions. The most severe damage was recorded at the Praid Salt Mine, where flood water from the Corund river dissolved part of the riverbed, severely damaging the hydrotechnical infrastructure of the area and penetrating into the mine. The flooding compromised the stability of the salt support pillars and endangered the structural integrity of the site. In other parts of the affected regions, hail and strong winds caused widespread infrastructure damage, while public services were disrupted and thousands of households were left without electricity.

The Romanian authorities estimated the total direct damage caused by the disaster at EUR 573.59 million. According to the Commission, the direct damage expressed as a percentage of the weighted regional GDP of the affected regions amounted to 1.8%, which exceeds the 1.5% threshold applicable to regional natural disasters under Article 2(3) of the EUSF Regulation. The disaster therefore qualifies as a regional natural disaster within the meaning of the Regulation.

Cyprus – major natural disaster: wildfires in July 2025

During the summer of 2025, Cyprus experienced a combination of prolonged drought, extreme heatwaves and strong winds which created the conditions for unprecedented wildfires in the Limassol and Pafos regions in July. The fires forced thousands of residents to evacuate, caused the closure or reduction of services in several schools and health establishments, destroyed close to 900 private properties and led to at least 2 fatalities. The Cypriot authorities also requested support through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, and Greece provided a ground forest firefighting module in response.

The Commission accepted total direct damage of EUR 252.68 million as plausible. This amount exceeds the threshold applicable to Cyprus for a major natural disaster, corresponding to 0.6% of GNI, which was EUR 170.05 million in 2025. The disaster therefore qualifies as a major natural disaster under Article 2(2) of the EUSF Regulation.

Spain – major natural disaster: wildfires in August 2025

In August 2025, Spain experienced a third and most destructive wave of severe wildfires following a summer marked by prolonged drought, extreme heatwaves and multiple fire outbreaks. The fires affected 16 Autonomous Communities, caused major environmental, social and economic damage, destroyed livelihoods particularly in rural areas and led to numerous evacuations. The Spanish authorities also requested assistance through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, with support provided by nine Member States. The wildfires caused at least 8 fatalities.

The Spanish authorities estimated the total direct damage at EUR 4 318.27 million. The Commission considered this amount to exceed the threshold applicable to Spain for a major natural disaster, namely EUR 3 958.44 million in 2025. The disaster therefore qualifies as a major natural disaster under Article 2(2) of the EUSF Regulation.

Conclusion

The methodology for calculating EUSF aid was set out in the 2002–2003 Annual Report on the EUSF and accepted by the European Parliament and the Council. The EUSF contribution may not exceed the estimated total cost of eligible operations. Applying the methodology outlined above, the Commission has evaluated the EUSF aid in response to the three applications submitted by Romania, Cyprus and Spain, and therefore proposes to the budget authority to mobilise the following amounts:

Disaster

Total direct

damage

Applied

threshold

2.5% of total direct damage [up to the threshold for major disasters]

6% of total direct damage [above the threshold for major disasters]

Proposed EUSF aid

Advance payments

Balance to be paid

(EUR)

(EUR)

(EUR)

(EUR)

(EUR)

(EUR)

(EUR)

Romania – floods

573,587,000

477,819,000

14,339,675

NA

14,339,675

not requested

14,339,675

regional disaster

Cyprus – wildfire

252,680,561

170,046,000

4,251,150

4,958,074

9,209,223

2,317,465

6,891,758

major disaster

Spain – wildfire

4,318,268,632

3,958,436,000

98,960,900

21,589,958

120,550,858

30,137,714

90,413,144

major disaster

TOTAL

144,099,756

32,455,179

111,644,577

Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 (hereafter ‘the MFF Regulation’), allows for the mobilisation of the EUSF in the context of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR). Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 (hereafter the amended MFF Regulation’) split the SEAR in two separate instruments: the European Solidarity Reserve and the Emergency Aid Reserve.

The European Solidarity Reserve with an annual amount of EUR 1 016 million in 2018 prices (corresponding to EUR 1 190.4 million in 2026 prices) will be used for assistance to respond to emergency situations covered by the EUSF. Point 10 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation on budgetary matters and on sound financial management as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources, lays down the modalities for the mobilisation of the EUSF in the context of the SEAR.

In order to avoid an early depletion of the annual allocation, Article 3(7) of the EUSF Regulation and Article 9(2), second subparagraph of the amended MFF Regulation stipulate that 25% of the annual EUSF allocation must remain available on 1 October of each year (end-of-year-cushion). In 2026, this amount corresponds to EUR 297.6 million.

Moreover, according to Article 4a(4) of the EUSF Regulation, the amount of EUR 50 million has already been inscribed in the General Budget 2026 (in commitments and payments) for the payment of possible advances. Both Cyprus and Spain requested and were granted advance payments of EUR 2.32 million and EUR 30.14 million, respectively.

In accordance with Article 9(2) of the amended MFF Regulation, any portion of the annual amount not used in a given year n may be used up to year n+1. The amount of EUR 21.3 million has been carried over from 2025 to 2026, of which EUR 20.85 million are available for the payment of possible advances9.

In conclusion, the total available amount on the reserve line before 1 October is EUR 843.25 million (excluding advances and end-of-year cushion), which is sufficient to cover the proposed amount for mobilisation.

Available EUSF resources in 2026 (EUR)

Total annual allocation in 2026

1,190,405,931

Carry-over from 2025 incl. unused advances (+)

21,304,355

End-of-year cushion, available after 1 October (-)

297,601,483

Total amount currently available before 1 October, of which:

914,108,803

Amount to be used for possible advances

70,854,849

o Amount available for the current mobilisation decision

843,253,954

o Amount proposed for mobilisation, only balance to be paid

111,644,577

Remaining amount for future applications incl. advances and end-of-year cushion

1,100,065,709

The rapporteur supports the swift adoption of the Commission proposal for a decision annexed to this report and the rapid release of the corresponding financial assistance, as a sign of European solidarity with Romania, Cyprus and Spain.

The rapporteur calls on the Commission that this financial contribution should be delivered with particular urgency.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted

23.6.2026

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

31

0

0

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

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