EC president pledges EUR 10 bln aid for EU countries hit by floods, Romania included

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has pledged aid worth EUR 10 billion to help repair the damage caused by recent floods in Central and Eastern Europe, Romania included. She made the promise during a visit to the western Polish city of Wroclaw on Thursday, September 19.

A massive wave of flooding has hit Central Europe in recent days, causing widespread damage from Romania to Poland, killing at least 24 people and destroying infrastructure in several regions.

“I am here to reassure you that Europe stands by your side. This is a moment of need, of disaster, and we all stand together to overcome the challenge,” said von der Leyen during the visit made alongside Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and his Czech, Austrian and Slovakian counterparts Petr Fiala, Karl Nehammer, and Robert Fico.

It was “heartbreaking on the one hand to see the destruction and devastation [caused by] the floods,” she said, but “heartwarming to see enormous solidarity […] of the countless volunteers” who came to help the flood victims, von der Leyen added, cited by EurActiv.

The EU-funded EUR 10 billion aid will come from the Cohesion Fund and is meant for the most urgent repairs.

The EU Solidarity Fund provides financial assistance to member states and acceding countries following major natural disasters and, from 2020, major health emergencies.

(Photo source: European Commission on Facebook)