Cyclone Harry: EU tells Italy to use structural funds

Brussels – Cyclone Harry, the EU is ready to help Italy with the reconstruction. This was confirmed by the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto, in response to a cross-party parliamentary question signed by members of all groups (EPP, S&D, RE, Greens, Radical Left). On 10 April this year, Italy and Malta requested assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) for the damage caused by the January 2026 cyclone. “The Commission is carrying out a thorough assessment,” Fitto said. 

The government in Rome must only wait for the assessment in Brussels to be completed.

In the meantime, Italy can draw on European Structural Funds. As Fitto points out, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes for Calabria, Sardinia, and Sicily currently include 352 million euros for risk prevention and management caused by natural disasters. “As of 31 December 2025, EUR 196 million has been allocated to selected projects, while EUR 156 million remains available to support new initiatives.” In light of this, Fitto concludes, the European Commission “is available to discuss with regional authorities how this financial envelope could
be used to address the consequences of these events.”