Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

The Commission proposes to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 (EUSF regulation) for an amount of EUR 116 031 553 to provide assistance to Germany and Italy relating to floods occurred in 2024.

Germany – major disaster: floods in Southern Germany in May 2024

On 30 May 2024, torrential rain hit the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg causing extreme flooding in Southern Germany at the beginning of June. The water levels in many places exceeded historic highs and a state of emergency was declared in 18 Bavarian districts. The flood disaster led to 6 fatalities and the failure of several dams in the region, requiring the evacuation of several municipalities and rescue missions. Floodwaters and debris flow damaged bridges, rail networks and roads, impacting overland travel in the affected areas. Train services were severely affected and in one instance an express train carrying 185 passengers was derailed after a landslide.

The Commission estimates the total direct damage caused by the disaster at EUR 4 131.6 million. This amount exceeds the ‘major natural disaster’ threshold for Germany of EUR 3 billion in 2011 prices, which is EUR 3.8 billion in 2024 prices. Therefore, the disaster qualifies as a ‘major natural disaster’ according to Article 2(2) of the EUSF Regulation.

Italy – regional disaster: floods in Valle d’Aosta region

On 29 June 2024, violent storms brought significant rainfall resulting in the overflow of rivers and streams. The torrential flooding caused extensive damage to the infrastructure, disruption of services and isolation of communities in the autonomous region of Valle d’Aosta. 58% of the municipalities in Valle d'Aosta were affected by the flooding. The land area affected is about 66% of the total land area of the region. The most affected municipalities included Aymavilles, Cogne and Valtournenche. More than 52 000 inhabitants and 4 800 businesses were directly affected by the disaster.

The application presented the event as a “regional natural disaster” as laid down in Article 2(3) of the EUSF Regulation, which is any natural disaster in a region at NUTS level 2 of an eligible State resulting in direct damage exceeding 1.5% of that region's gross domestic product (GDP). The Italian authorities estimate the total direct damage caused by the disaster at EUR 158.39 million. This amount exceeds the indicated applicable threshold for “regional disaster”, which is EUR 71.05 million for the Valle d’Aosta region in 2024.

Conclusion

The methodology for calculating the aid was set out in the 2002-2003 Annual Report on the EUSF and accepted by the Council and the European Parliament. The Commision therefore proposes to the budget authority to mobilise the following amounts for Germany’s and Italy’s applications:

Council Regulation 2024/765 of 29 February 2024 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027 split the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) in two separate instruments: the European Solidarity Reserve and the Emergency Aid Reserve. The European Solidarity Reserve with an annual amount of EUR 1 016 million (in 2018 prices, corresponding to EUR 1 144.2 million in 2024 prices) will be used for assistance to respond to emergency situations covered by the EUSF.

In order to avoid an early depletion of the annual allocation, Article 3(7) of the EUSF Regulation and Article 9(2), second subparagraph, of the amended MFF Regulation stipulate that 25% of the annual EUSF allocation (i.e. EUR 286 million for 2024) shall remain available on 1 October of each year.

Finally, according to the Article 4a(4) of the EUSF Regulation, the amount of EUR 50 000 000 has been already inscribed in the EU general budget 2024 (in commitments and payments appropriations) for the payment of possible advances.

Therefore, the maximum amount that can be used by the EUSF from the 2024 European Solidarity Reserve allocation at this stage is EUR 297 420 718 which allows covering the payment needs of this mobilisation.

The Rapporteur recommends the swift approval of the Commission proposal for a decision annexed to this report, leading to the rapid mobilisation of the aforementioned amounts, as a sign of European solidarity with Germany and Italy. The rapporteur calls on the Commission that this financial contribution should be delivered with particular urgency.