"It currently covers only 2-5% of the total damage so that is the reason to boost financial instrument. That is the way to really express solidarity and guarantee quick help to people hit by large natural disasters - we have to avoid the situation in which the victims feel abandoned in the long term while waiting for the payment from the Fund", said Picula.
All 13 amendments that MEP Picula filed as a shadow rapporteur were adopted as a part of the report on the Fund - the assessment of the situation after the last reform in 2014. Among them is Picula's warning on delayed payment of approved funds.
"Even after the reforms there still must pass a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks before the payment of money because users must give permission and the Council and the European Parliament. In practice, this takes even longer. The money for the floods in Croatia and other countries in the region in May 2014, was approved by the Commission in October and confirmed in the EP in December that year - so, full seven months after the disaster."
Picula asked for urgent help last year in July for fires on the island of Korčula and Pelješac from Corina Cretu - Commissioner for Regional Development in charge of the management of the Fund for Solidarity. He warned on the special threshold of 1% of the regional GDP for the outermost regions, which is the category where islands certainly are.
EU Solidarity Fund was founded after the tragic floods in 2002 for providing financial support to Member States and accession countries after a major natural disaster. From then until the end of July last year, a total of approved and paid out amount was 3.8 billion euros on the basis of 72 requests from 24 Member States and non-members.
"This report, and the Resolution on the consequences of the catastrophic earthquake in Italy, represent a good set of proposals to help affected citizens because they improve the decision of the European Commission. This refers to the duration of payments assistance, prevention measures, the implementation of ex-ante conditions in the cohesion policy, the synchronization of existing EU instruments, transparency in spending the allocated funds and cooperation between different levels of decision making", concluded Picula and urged MEPs to adopt the report.
The European Parliament will vote on the Report tomorrow, December 1st.
