The European Parliament has approved the allocation of more than €1 billion in aid to Spain and France after severe natural disasters affected both countries. The decision was made during a plenary session on Thursday, with 622 votes in favor, 10 against, and three abstentions.
According to the proposal, Spain will receive €946 million following floods that struck the Valencia region in October 2024. France will be granted nearly €90 million for Mayotte due to Cyclone Chido in December 2024 and over €21 million for Réunion after Cyclone Garance in February 2025.
The funds come from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), which is designed to provide financial support after major disasters. The assistance will be used for clean-up efforts and to restore critical infrastructure such as energy, water supply, wastewater systems, telecommunications, transport networks, health services, and education facilities in the affected regions.
“The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) will provide the following support: €946,153,691 for Spain for the October 2024 floods; €89,628,050 for France (Mayotte) for Cyclone Chido in December 2024; €21,236,336 for France (Réunion) for Cyclone Garance in February 2025,” according to details released by parliament officials.
Since its establishment in 2002, the EUSF has distributed more than €9.6 billion across Europe and neighboring candidate countries following various crises.
