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The European Commission is using its Solidarity Fund to help countries fight the pandemic (photo: C.Garcia)
EU. The European Commission proposed on Thursday, March 11, 2021, to release an envelope of € 529.34 million as additional support for emergency measures against the coronavirus provided by the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF). Created in the summer of 2002 to respond to the consequences of natural disasters, the EUSF was extended in April 2020 to cover major public health emergencies. The European Parliament and Council must now decide and approve this assistance.
This sum would help seventeen Member States*, out of the existing twenty-eight, and three Mediterranean countries in the process of accession: Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. It will be used to finance "part of their public expenditure on medical equipment, personal protection, emergency aid to the population and measures to prevent, monitor and control the spread of the disease", as stated in a European Commission press release.
This sum would help seventeen Member States*, out of the existing twenty-eight, and three Mediterranean countries in the process of accession: Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. It will be used to finance "part of their public expenditure on medical equipment, personal protection, emergency aid to the population and measures to prevent, monitor and control the spread of the disease", as stated in a European Commission press release.
"Countries are in dire need of this financial assistance"
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To be precise, the nearly €530 million includes advances already received by Greece, Spain, Croatia, Portugal, Germany, Ireland and Hungary for a total amount of €132.7 million.
"The EU Solidarity Fund is a concrete manifestation of European solidarity in action. Since its creation, it has provided effective assistance and relief to millions of people in difficult circumstances. Last year, we extended its scope to major health emergencies. We are now proposing to mobilize financial support for the fight against the pandemic, which is sorely needed by countries. This measure is fully in line with the EUSF's primary mission," said Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform.
"The EU Solidarity Fund is a concrete manifestation of European solidarity in action. Since its creation, it has provided effective assistance and relief to millions of people in difficult circumstances. Last year, we extended its scope to major health emergencies. We are now proposing to mobilize financial support for the fight against the pandemic, which is sorely needed by countries. This measure is fully in line with the EUSF's primary mission," said Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform.
* Croatia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania
Distribution of the 530 M€ of EU aid per country
| Albania | 905 271 |
| Germany | 29 147 795 |
| Austria | 31 755 580 |
| Belgium | 37 298 777 |
| Croatia | 7 618 270 |
| Spain | 53 483 861 |
| Estonia | 3 588 755 |
| France | 91 365 053 |
| Greece | 8 529 722 |
| Hungary | 39 723 926 |
| Ireland | 43 759 771 |
| Italy | 76 271 930 |
| Lettonia | 1 177 677 |
| Latvia | 2 828 291 |
| Luxembourg | 2 857 025 |
| Montenegro | 199 505 |
| Portugal | 55 568 181 |
| Romania | 13 926 870 |
| Serbia | 11 968 276 |
| Czech Republic | 17 373 205 |
| Total | 529 347 741 |
Source: European Commission
