Due to the continuing economic crisis and high unemployment, many people in the United States have moved out of the areas in which they used to live. A knock-on effect of this is that properties in which people can no longer afford to live are simply abandoned and the local authority has to look after them.

Is the Commission aware of a similar situation in the EU countries hardest hit by the crisis (such as Greece and Spain) and have any assessments been made of the likelihood of such a situation arising?

What would the procedures be for dealing with such an eventuality? Are there already plans to prevent the situation reaching this point?