The European Commission proposed financial support of €400 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to provide assistance to Türkiye following the damages caused by the devastating earthquakes of February 2023.

The EUSF assistance may cover parts of the costs of emergency and recovery operations like repair of damaged infrastructure, protection for the population, securing preventive infrastructure and protection of cultural heritage, as well as clean-up operations. Emergency and recovery operations may be financed by the EUSF retroactively from day one of the disaster.

Member of the European Commission for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr. Olivér Várhelyi, said: “After the devastating disaster struck, the EU immediately sent rescue teams, field hospitals, and emergency supplies to save lives as well as organized an International Donors Conference in Brussels. To this day, a lot has been done as we are focusing on delivering working closely with the Government of Türkiye and our international partners to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort for the benefit of the badly affected communities, including hospitals, schools, and housing.”

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira said: “Year after year, we face the devastating impact of climate change and naturaldisasters of growing frequency and magnitude. While prevention, climate adaptation and mitigation, also supported by Cohesion Policy, remain paramount, EUSF assistance is indispensable in the aftermath of major natural disasters. This solidarity is in the DNA of the EU, and it does not stop at its borders. The Commission proposed EUSF support to Türkiyefollowing the devastating earthquakes in February in line with the EU pledge at the international donor conference of March 2023.”

Next steps

The Commission proposal requires the approval of the Budget Authority; the Commission cannot prejudge its opinion.

After the approval of the mobilisation proposal by the Budget Authority, the Commission will proceed with the preparation of the Commission Implementing Decision awarding the EUSF assistance. Since Türkiye is an accession country, additionally to the adoption of the Commission Decision, the Commission will also sign a Bilateral Agreement with Türkiye specifying the details of the use of the assistance. Once the Agreement is signed, the financial aid can be paid in a single instalment.

Background 

At the 20 March 2023 International Donors’ conference, the Commission announced it would mobilise €1 billion in grants in support of the people in Türkiye. With the proposal to mobilise €400 million from the EU Solidarity Fund, the Commission is taking a further step to implement this pledge. In addition, the Commission has already mobilised humanitarian funds and is preparing a further package to support long term reconstruction. All these steps demonstrate our solidarity with the people affected by the terrible earthquakes.

The EUSF is one of the main EU instruments for post-disaster recovery and a tangible expression of EU solidarity. It supports Member States and candidate countries by offering a financial contribution after severe natural disasters. Since April 2020, in the framework of the EU efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the scope of the EUSF was extended to cover major public health emergencies.

The EUSF was created after the severe floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002, primarily to assist eligible countries in the emergency and recovery operations following natural disasters. 

Between 2002 and 2022, the EUSF has mobilised a total of over €8.2 billion for interventions in 127 disaster events (107 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) in 24 Member States (plus the UK) and 3 accession countries (Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia). 

The EUSF is mobilised upon applications of eligible countries and the assessment of their eligibility. 

In the period 2021-2027, it is part of the newly established Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve.

For More Information 

European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF)

EU Solidarity Fund: supporting disaster recovery 2002-2020 (data story)

Donors’ Conference in Brussels

Contacts for media: 

Ms Miray Akdağ

E-mail: Miray.AKDAG@eeas.europa.eu

Mob: 0532 624 9356