EU supports Spain and France with 1 billion euro to rebuild after natural disasters

On Thursday 13 November, the European Parliament voted to support Spain and France with 1 billion euro after devastating floods and cyclones. With 622 votes to 10 and 3 abstentions, a majority of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) backed a proposal for assistance from the European Commission.

According to a Press Release of the European Parliament, the funds are needed to rebuild after the destructive floods in the Valencia region in October last year. The money is also meant to for the overseas French departments of Mayotte and La Réunion who were struck by cyclones in the Indian Ocean in 2024-2025. Most of the money will go to the Valencia region in Spain. The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) will provide € 946,153,691 for Spain. For the French overseas department Mayotte, a reservation of € 89,628,050 is made, and for Réunion an amount of € 21,236,336 is allocated. The EU funds will go towards clean-up operations and the restoration of energy, water, wastewater, telecoms, transport, health, and education infrastructure.

Floods in Valencia

Over 24 hours on Tuesday, the 29th of October 2024, 445 litres of rain per square meter fell in the Valencia region. The natural disaster that struck Valencia left the area like a war zone. Many people lost their lives, houses were demolished, and the infrastructure was completely washed away in many villages. The disaster affected 2 600 houses and an area of over 500 square kilometres. Thousands of households were left without electricity, drinking water, and phone service, as well as significant damage was also done to public infrastructure and goods. Over 170 educational establishments and more than 50 health institutions were impacted. The floods caused 232 fatalities. A year later, the area is still suffering the consequences of the devastating floods.

Mayotte and La Réunion

The tropical cyclone Chido hit the French overseas department of Mayotte in December 2024 with catastrophic consequences for the population. In February 2025, cyclone Garance brought extremely strong winds (up to 214 km/h), torrential rain, floods, and landslides to the island La Réunion. This caused large-scale infrastructure damage, power cuts for many households, loss of drinking water for thousands, and damaged roads and bridges. After these extreme weather events, a lot of work needs to be done to restore the islands.

European Union Solidarity Fund

The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) is the EU’s main post-disaster relief instrument. According to the Press Release of the European Parliament, it has provided over € 9.6 billion in response to 136 major crises (116 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) across 24 EU countries, the UK, and four candidate countries since it was launched in 2002.