”Being flexible, including regarding the use of EU funds, is vital in times of crisis”

On Thursday, 10 August 2023, MEPs Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj wrote  to European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni asking for further EU action in response to the floods that hit Slovenia. In their letter, they stressed that in the event of natural disasters, the EU should allow countries to reallocate EU funds according to need and urgency.

The MEPs began by describing the disastrous circumstances and aftermath of the worst floods in the history of Slovenia. They highlighted the extraordinary scale of the floods, inundating two thirds of Slovenia, which resulted in billions of euros worth of destruction and unfortunately, loss of life. They called on the European Commission and the responsible commissioners to augment the Union’s assistance in dealing with the consequences of this natural disaster.

“We must help our citizens in this common effort and demonstrate the Union’s resilience and responsibility by rapidly providing all available basic assistance to the vulnerable community. Ensuring an even faster and more effective Union response to unpredictable crises would contribute significantly to a more resilient and sustainable future for our continent.”

They expressed gratitude for the support voiced by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, during her visit to Slovenia, and for the assistance pledged, but also stressed that in such difficult times, the whole European Union is being tested. In their view, it is the duty of the European institutions to adapt where necessary and to provide the help that people urgently need.

They therefore proposed that, in the event of severe natural disasters linked to climate change, Member States should be able to reallocate or reassess the use of a certain part of the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) in order to provide sustainable disaster relief and mitigate the consequences, subject to clear rules and principles.

“Providing flexibility for the affected Member States so that they could redirect a certain amount of the RRF resources towards sustainable recovery and climate change resilience would be an important step towards mitigating the effects of such extreme weather events and strengthening our collective response to climate change.”

According to the two MEPs, it is essential to adapt national recovery and resilience plans and existing programmes to the urgent needs of the affected Member States – especially when other resources earmarked for disaster mitigation at EU and Member State level have already been committed. This, they stated, would facilitate Slovenia’s recovery and strengthen the belief of its citizens in the EU’s good intentions.

“The current situation in Slovenia shows how urgent it is for the Union to demonstrate its commitment to the prosperity of its citizens by offering much-needed support in such challenging times.”

You can read the Slovenian version of the letter here.