Fires: Brussels proposes 50.6 million euros’ aid to Portugal

This Thrusday, the European Commission proposed to give 104 million euros to Portugal, Spain, France and Greece, within the scope of the European Union Solidarity Fund, following the natural disasters that affected those four member States last year. The plan is for Portugal to receive 50.6 million euros.

“This is a concrete delivery on the Juncker Commission’s promise to offer more than condolences when an EU country is struck by a disaster”, according to the press release from the European Commission. Corina Creţu, the commissioner for Regional policy, stated that “in Portugal, in Spain, and from the Greek island of Lesbos far off in the Aegean sea to the French Outermost regions in the Caribbean, the EU leaves no one alone in the face of tragedy. Once again the Solidarity Fund shows the EU’s unfailing support for reconstruction works following natural disasters and for helping rebuilding people’s lives“.

According to the press release, the 104 million euros will be divided as such: 49 million to France, 1.3 million to Greece, 50.6 million euros to Portugal and 3.2 million to Spain. The difference between the Iberian countries is justified by the fact that “violent forest fires ravaged the central and Northern regions of Portugal, claiming many human lives and overwhelming firefighting and rescue services. The neighbouring Spanish region of Galicia was also affected”. We should recall that last November, the European Commission had granted 1.5 million euros to the Portuguese.