Following the devastation caused by Cyclone Boris in several EU countries, including Romania, members of the European Parliament have expressed deep concern over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events affecting the European Union. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, they called for increased funding for the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and adjustments to the Solidarity Fund to better reflect the severity of natural disasters. They also urged the swift creation of a European climate adaptation plan and greater investment in regional resilience, emphasizing the need for urgent flood risk prevention measures.
The resolution, adopted on September 19, reflects frustration among MEPs over recent budget cuts to the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, especially in the wake of severe flooding in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
MEPs are calling for appropriate and updated funds to improve preparedness and capacity-building, considering the future multiannual budget of the Union. They also want the EU Solidarity Fund to be “proportionate to the increasing number and severity of natural disasters,” and they urged the European Commission to speed up the release of funds for affected countries, providing additional technical and financial support, including through cohesion policy tools.
“We have just voted on the European Parliament resolution, which I co-signed, offering solutions to support those affected by the floods that hit Romania and several Central and Eastern European countries. First and foremost: the European Union will provide financial and technical aid to the impacted countries,”
MEP Siegfried Mureșan.
In the long term, the resolution underscores the importance of increased investment in regional and local resilience. It calls for future EU cohesion policy to focus more on combating climate change and adapting to its impacts.
MEPs are urging the European Commission to swiftly present a European climate adaptation plan with concrete legislative proposals, in line with the political guidelines of President von der Leyen for the 2024-2029 period. This plan is crucial for strengthening the EU’s resilience, ensuring adaptation to climate change effects, and coordinating national efforts on preparedness, planning, and cross-border cooperation. They also stress the importance of urgent investments in flood management and risk prevention measures.
Over the past three decades, floods in Europe have affected 5.5 million people, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and causing economic losses exceeding €170 billion. The summer of 2024 was also recorded as the hottest in both global and European history.
