Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Spain and France in relation to natural disasters in 2024 and 2025

P10_TA(2025)0274

Committee on Budgets

PE778.223

European Parliament resolution of 13 November 2025 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 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))

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0855 – C100239/2025),

– 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 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 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 the report by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Regional Development (A10-0031/2024) in the framework of the legislative procedure to adopt Regulation (EU) 2024/3236 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1057 and (EU) 2021/1058 as regards Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE), and in particular the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets attached to that report,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 May 2025 on a revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world,

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

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0215/2025),

A. whereas between 28 October and 4 November 2024, a storm bringing heavy rain struck the entire Valencia region of Spain and led to severe flooding resulting in total direct damages estimated by the Commission at EUR 18,08 billion and affecting 845 000 people from 84 municipalities, 170 educational establishments, more than 50 health institutions and public infrastructure; whereas the floods caused at least 229 fatalities;

B. whereas the estimation of the enormous impact of the storms and floods on the regions’ economy is of EUR 18 billion, affecting 63 industrial areas, 64 000 companies (99,6 % of which are SMEs), 250 000 workers, and 243 388 compensation claims, as stipulated by the studies presented by the regional government of Valencia and the Valencian Business Confederation;

C. whereas on 14 December 2024, the eye of a cyclone called Chido hit the island of Mayotte, France, and led to wind guests exceeding 180 kilometre per hour and heavy rainfall combined with high wave heights resulting in total direct damages estimated by the Commission at EUR 3,6 billion; whereas the cyclone affected 337 000 people and caused at least 39 fatalities; whereas 200 people are still missing;

D. whereas on 28 February 2025, a cyclone named Garance hit the island of Réunion, France, and led to wind speeds of up to 215 kilometre per hour, heavy rain and dangerous sea conditions resulting in total direct damages estimated by the French authorities at EUR 849,45 million mainly in electric network and communication infrastructure; whereas the cyclone affected 160 000 people and caused at least 4 fatalities;

1. Expresses its deepest solidarity with all the victims, their families and all the individuals affected by the destructive floods in the region of Valencia, Spain, and devastating cyclones in Mayotte and Réunion, France, as well as 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 its citizens and the regions in the affected areas, but notes that such solidarity cannot replace the direct responsibility of local, regional and national authorities in preventing and managing climate-related natural disasters;

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 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;

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 Council, 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;

6. 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;

7. Regrets that it takes an average of one year for the full amount of an EUSF grant to reach a beneficiary; 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; notes that the methodology for calculating the total amount of the aid could better take into account the ratio between the total direct damage and the GNI of the territory affected, particularly when outermost regions are affected;

8. Stresses the urgent need to release immediate financial assistance through the EUSF to ensure that support can reach the affected regions in a timely manner to support a quick and long-lasting recovery; stresses the importance of reducing the time between the submission of an application for EUSF assistance and the financing decision; calls for effort 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; underlines the need to simplify and accelerate internal procedures without undermining the institutional balance, in particular the rights of the European Parliament as one of two arms of the budgetary authority; notes that the proposed governance of the post-2027 successor of the European Solidarity Fund is not in line with the European Parliament’s position expressed in its resolution of 7 May 2025 “A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world”;

9. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;

10. 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;

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

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the 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

(The text of this annex is not reproduced here since it corresponds to the final act, Decision (EU) 2025/2403.)