Cyclone Harry: Italy has three months to access EU Solidarity Fund. Brussels: “Ready to help”

Brussels – The Italian government has 12 weeks, approximately three months, to submit its request for access to the  European Solidarity Fund to Brussels following Cyclone Harry in Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria. The European Commission confirms that it is “ready to assist and help,” in Italy, as in Spain and Portugal, which have been battered by Storm Kristin in recent weeks. 

Yesterday (29 January), Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the government’s intention to request assistance from Brussels to deal with the devastating impact and damage caused by the cyclone in the three affected regions. “The civil protection agency will have to prepare the analyses and data, which is a fairly lengthy procedure because we have to wait for the event to end,” Tajani explained. Raffaele Fitto, Vice-President of the European Commission, after meeting with the Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, and the presidents of Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria, also stressed that “the Commission provides a range of tools, starting with the Solidarity Fund.” 

Initial estimates from Sicily indicate at least €1 billion in damage. To this must be added the damage in Calabria and Sardinia. The government has so far allocated €100 million to be divided between the three regions. By way of comparison, the damage caused by the floods in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany in the spring of 2023 was estimated at around €10 billion. After almost a year and a half, the European Commission has allocated almost €450 million, of which €94 million as an advance payment. 

Tajani said yesterday that Europe “has always been generous.” Since its inception in 2002 and up to 2022, the Solidarity Fund has mobilised over €8.6 billion. Almost a third of these funds (just over €3 billion) has been allocated to Italy. Not only for the floods in Emilia-Romagna, but also for the earthquakes in central Italy in 2016–2017 and in Emilia-Romagna in 2012. Through this instrument, it is possible to carry out emergency interventions such as the immediate restoration of essential infrastructure (energy, telecommunications, transport, health, education), the provision of temporary accommodation for the population, clean-up operations, and the protection of cultural heritage, while private damage is not eligible.

Today, the European Commission’s spokesperson for Crisis Management, Eva Hrncirova, confirmed that EU countries have 12 weeks from the date of the disaster to submit their application for access to the European Solidarity Fund. Hrncirova explained that the procedure requires the countries concerned to “first assess and estimate the extent of the damage and, on the basis of that assessment, submit a formal application to the European Commission. The EU executive then examines the application and submits a proposal to the governments and the European Parliament, which have the final say on the amount to be granted.” 

However, the annual resources available are not unlimited. The Solidarity Fund allows for the mobilisation of up to €500 million per year, in addition to any unspent funds from the previous year. For example, in 2023, the fund was almost completely absorbed by three natural disasters that occurred between the end of 2022 and the beginning of the year. For this reason, in February 2024, as part of the review of the 2021–27 multiannual financial framework, the Solidarity Fund’s budget was increased by €1.5 billion for the remaining three years. 

The procedure for awarding a grant can take several months. However, Member States may request an advance payment of up to 25 per cent of the total financial contribution, with a maximum of €100 million. 

In addition to the Solidarity Fund, another option would allow the Italian government to mobilise European resources more quickly. As the EU executive spokesperson pointed out, “cohesion policy instruments” can also be activated. In essence, “funds already allocated to a Member State can be reprogrammed to support reconstruction efforts, subject to approval by the European Commission.”