Von der Leyen pledges up to €10 billion for Cohesion for floods in central Europe

BRUSSELS, September 19 () –

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday promised greater flexibility in using EU funds and mobilising up to €10 billion in Cohesion funding to tackle flooding in central Europe.

Speaking from Poland alongside the Prime Ministers of Poland, Donald Tusk, Slovakia, Robert Fico, Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the German conservative stressed the EU’s solidarity with the countries affected by the natural disaster, through material aid with the Civil Protection Mechanism but also with funds to boost the repair and reconstruction of damaged buildings and infrastructure.

“The most pressing question is whether we can help with reconstruction funds. It is important to mobilise everything we can,” said Von der Leyen, who explained that the EU will make the Solidarity Fund available to these countries and will also ensure that there is flexibility to redirect funds from the Cohesion Policy, since the aforementioned fund “will not be sufficient.”

The Commission has therefore undertaken to mobilise Cohesion funds “in an unusual way”, ensuring that the affected countries will have maximum flexibility to take funds from a budget of up to 10 billion euros, corresponding to Cohesion funds.

Von der Leyen reiterated that the funds will be used to address the specific needs of each country, thereby removing conditions or other obstacles. Member states will be able to use them in advance and without the usual co-financing of the member state, she added, insisting that it will be “100% European money”.

“These are extraordinary times and extraordinary times require extraordinary measures,” argued the head of the EU Executive, insisting that Brussels will be by the side of these countries in their recovery from the damage caused by the severe flooding.

Central Europe is experiencing record flooding following torrential rains caused by storm Boris, which has left several dead and thousands affected in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Romania.