Almost €34 million in European Solidarity Funds awarded to Romania to repair damages caused by severe drought in 2022

The Commission has approved €33.9 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support Romania in addressing the extensive damages caused by droughts and wildfires in 2022.

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said: “This is EU solidarity in action! We promised, and we delivered: €33.9 million in financial support will help Romania rebuild and restore what was destroyed to the drought and wildfires in 2022. The EU Solidarity Fund is a tangible way to show our solidarity and support and is paramount in the face of unrelenting climate change.”

Between March and August 2022, Romania was affected by a severe drought caused by reduced rainfall. This had widespread consequences such as the failure of crops, forest fires, and scarcity of running and drinking water for the population in many regions.

The EUSF assistance will cover part of the costs of emergency and recovery operations, such as rescue services and interventions to support the immediate needs of the population, as well as the repair of damaged infrastructure and the general clean-up of disaster-stricken areas.

The EUSF helps Member States and accession countries to handle the financial burden caused by major natural disasters and health emergencies. Since 2002, the Fund has mobilised over €8.2 billion for 127 disasters (107 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) in 24 Member States (plus, the UK), and 3 accession countries (Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia).