Changes between two versions
What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text
From · plenary report· 22 Nov 2024
on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Germany and Italy relating to floods occurred in 2024
To · adopted text· 27 Nov 2024
Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund: assistance to Germany and Italy relating to floods occurred in 2024
AI:What changed, in short
Adds a call for adequate EUSF funding for islands and coastal regions and for member states to consider vulnerable populations.3 Updates references to the RRF regulation and rephrases the text on funding opportunities and Union funding.4 The other changes are formal: decimal separators, title, and removal of explanatory paragraphs.1256
2 changes of substance · 5 formal · 0 of wording only
Written by AI from the two texts only · read the changes before relying on it · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
Changes to the text itself, in document order. Cover page, citations and punctuation-only edits are left out; they are under “Every difference”.
Changes of substance · 2
Change 3 Substance
AI summary:Renumbers paragraph 4a to 5 and adds a call for adequate EUSF funding for islands and coastal regions, and for member states to consider vulnerable populations.
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Changed:4a5. Stresses the significant damage caused by floods to agricultural land and farms, transportation infrastructure and particularly small villages and towns outside of urban regions; stresses that, due to climate change, islands and coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to natural calamities; acknowledges that phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, and droughts - which also affect lakes and rivers - represent an increasing threat to many European regions, particularly those in the Mediterranean; questions whether the EUSF is adequately aligned with the emergency needs related to climate adaptation in these particularly fragile territories; therefore, believes that islands and coastal regions should receive adequate funding within the framework of the EUSF to address their specific vulnerabilities; calls on Member States to take into consideration that vulnerable populations are particularly affected by natural disasters due to socio-economic factors further hampering their ability to recover;
Change 4 Substance
AI summary:Renumbers paragraph 5 to 6, adds a reference to Regulation (EU) 2021/241, and rephrases references to the RRF and European funding.
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Changed:5.6. Stresses that the EUSF is only a curative instrument and that the Union should also continue to address climate change adaptation and mitigation by supporting European and national policies to prevent natural disasters; underlines that the EEA Report No 1/2024 ‘European Climate Risk Assessment’ warned that the Union is unprepared for the effects of climate change and stresses the need for action to avoid that the climate risks identified reach critical levels; calls on Member States and the Commission to take the necessary measures to bring the Union to achieve the commitments made in the Paris agreement; recalls the need for effective synergies with other Union policies and programmes and underlines that Member States should make best use of funding opportunitiesopportunities, in particular,particular of the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund + and the Rural development programmes; calls on the Commission to assess with due urgency any reasoned requests by Member States to reallocate funds within the National Recovery and Resilience plans to natural disaster assistance, in accordance with the rules laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the RRFEuropean Regulation;Parliament and of the Council; stresses also the need for preventive measures, not only to mitigate future damage but also to prevent the exacerbation of risk conditions following catastrophic events, such as floods, wildfires, landslides or the drying up of lakes and rivers; underlines the importance of adequate flexibility between the different programmes; underscores that assistance provided under the EUSF should not be to the detriment of EuropeanUnion funding received by Member States under other Union programmes or policies; recalls that Member States can grant state aid, in accordance with applicable Union rules, notably for agricultural businesses that have suffered damages due to natural disasters;
5 formal changes: legal basis, citations, references, corrections
Change 1 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal separator in the damage amount for Germany from a period to a comma.
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Changed:A. whereas on 30 May 2024, Germany was hit by torrential rain causing extreme flooding in Southern Germany at the beginning of June resulting in six fatalities and total direct damages of EUR 4 131.6131,6 million according to the Commission;
Change 2 Formal
AI summary:Replaces the decimal separator in the damage amount for Italy from a period to a comma.
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Changed:B. whereas on 29 June 2024, Italy suffered violent storms leading to the overflow of rivers and streams in the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta resulting in total direct damages estimated by the Italian authorities at EUR 158.39158,39 million;
Change 5 Formal
AI summary:Adds the title 'DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL'.
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Added:DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
Change 6 Formal under “DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL”
AI summary:Rewords the title to start with 'on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund' and removes the reference to the EUSF regulation and amount.
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Changed:The Commissionon proposesthe tomobilisation mobiliseof 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 2024.2024
Change 7 Formal under “DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL”
AI summary:Removes the detailed explanatory paragraphs on the disasters and the Commission's proposal.
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Removed:Germany – major disaster: floods in Southern Germany in May 2024
Removed: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.
Removed: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.
Removed:Italy – regional disaster: floods in Valle d’Aosta region
Removed: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.
Removed: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.
Removed:Conclusion
Removed: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:
Removed: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.
Removed: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.
Removed: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.
Removed: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.
Removed: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.