Activate all available tools, at national and European level, to support the Calabrian territories affected by bad weather. This is the objective of the motion presented to the Regional Council of Calabria which aims to start the procedures to access the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) and other resources intended for emergency management.
The document was signed by the group leaders Vincenzo Bruno (Tridico President), Ernesto Alecci (Democratic Party), Francesco De Cicco (Progressive Democrats), Filomena Greco (Reformist House – Italia Viva) and Elisa Scutellà (5 Star Movement).
The emergency of January 20th and the damage to the territory
The initiative was born after the meteorological events of January 20th, which hit various areas of Calabria causing flooding, landslides and landslides with significant damage to infrastructure, roads, homes and production activities.
In fact, the text of the motion recalls that the regional territory has been affected by “intense meteorological events that have caused flooding, landslides, mudslides and extensive damage to public infrastructures, roads, production activities, private homes and environmental heritage”, with numerous municipalities reporting situations of serious criticality and inconvenience for the population.
The document also starts from the declaration of the state of emergency by the Government, which recognized the gravity of the situation and the need for extraordinary interventions.
Access to the European Union Solidarity Fund
In this context, the signatories ask to activate the European Union Solidarity Fund, an instrument that allows financing urgent interventions to restore infrastructure and support communities affected by natural disasters.
The possibility of using this fund was also recalled by the European Commission. In response to a request from MEPs Pasquale Tridico and Giuseppe Antoci, President Ursula von der Leyen specified that “the activation of the Solidarity Fund must be formally requested by the Member State concerned within the deadlines established by European legislation”.
The commitments requested from the Regional Council
The motion therefore commits the Regional Council to “urge the national Government to activate all the extraordinary support measures provided for by national and European legislation”, also promoting the request for access to the Solidarity Fund.
Among the other points indicated in the provision there is also the need to coordinate the Region and Municipalities for a detailed survey of the damage, an essential step to quantify the resources necessary for restoration interventions.
Finally, the document requests that the Council “urgently report to the Regional Council on the developments of the discussions with the national government and the European institutions”, as well as on the measures adopted to support the affected territories.
The objective of the motion is to speed up the process and allow the affected communities to access the resources available as soon as possible to deal with the consequences of bad weather.