EU solidarity in action: €400 million to Türkiye following two major earthquakes in February 2023
On 4 October 2023, the European Parliament approved nearly €455 million in EU Solidarity Fund aid in response to recent natural disasters in Romania, Italy and Türkiye.
This includes €400 million to Türkiye following two major earthquakes in February 2023.
The Parliament vote follows the European Commission proposal to use the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to grant financial assistance of € 454,835,030 to the three countries. EUSF assistance will cover parts of the costs of emergency and recovery operations like repairing damaged infrastructure, securing preventive infrastructure and the protection of cultural heritage, as well as clean-up operations. Under the fund’s rules, emergency and recovery operations may be financed by the EUSF retroactively from day one of a disaster.
The aid package was approved by 593 votes in favour, 11 votes against and 22 abstentions.
Council has already approved the aid on 18 September.
In September, Member of the European Commission for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr. Olivér Várhelyi, said: “After the devastating disaster struck, the EU immediately sent rescue teams, field hospitals, and emergency supplies to save lives as well as organized an International Donors Conference in Brussels. To this day, a lot has been done as we are focusing on delivering working closely with the Government of Türkiye and our international partners to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort for the benefit of the badly affected communities, including hospitals, schools, and housing.”
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira said: “Year after year, we face the devastating impact of climate change and naturaldisasters of growing frequency and magnitude. While prevention, climate adaptation and mitigation, also supported by Cohesion Policy, remain paramount, EUSF assistance is indispensable in the aftermath of major natural disasters. This solidarity is in the DNA of the EU, and it does not stop at its borders. The Commission proposed EUSF support to Türkiyefollowing the devastating earthquakes in February in line with the EU pledge at the international donor conference of March 2023.”