Spain and Italy to receive €38 million after earthquakes and floods

MEPs on Tuesday approved EU Solidarity Fund aid totalling €38 million to repair earthquake and flood damage in Spain and Italy.

Spain requested €21.1 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to repair damage caused by the earthquakes Lorca (Murcia region) in May this year. The two consecutive earthquakes, with a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale, resulted in nine people dying, more than 300 injured, and a further 10,000 evacuated. The total direct cost of the damage caused by the earthquakes is an estimated €842.8 million.

Italy, where heavy rain in late October and early November 2010 caused severe flooding in the Veneto region, requested €16.9 million from the EU Solidarity Fund. The effects of the rain were aggravated by a warm Mediterranean "Scirocco" wind that melted the snow in the nearby mountains, causing significant damage to road and infrastructure networks, agriculture, businesses and homes. The direct cost of the damage done by the flooding is estimated at €3.7 billion.

The aid to Spain and Italy was approved with 677 votes in favour, 19 against and 3 abstentions.

The two aid requests, totalling €38 million, will be met out of unspent funds for rural development. This is being done via an amending budget, the seventh this year. MEPs approved it with 677 votes in favour, 15 against and 7 abstentions

Procedure: Budgetary