MEP Fredis Beleris has submitted a formal question to the European Commission calling for the creation of a new European Natural Disaster Fund, backed by a guaranteed, independent, and adequate budget.
Beleris highlights that the devastating wildfires that struck Greece, Cyprus, France, and Spain have directly impacted the quality of life of European citizens and confirm the urgent need for a comprehensive European fund for disaster response and reconstruction.
He acknowledges that the rescEU mechanism supports member states requiring assistance in fighting wildfires, but notes that the EU Solidarity Fund — which provides financial aid for infrastructure restoration — no longer has sufficient funding to keep pace with the increasing frequency of such disasters.
Furthermore, he stresses that the restoration of properties, infrastructure, and forest ecosystems is an essential prerequisite for safeguarding the quality of life of European citizens. To that end, he argues that the EU Solidarity Fund must evolve into a new European Natural Disaster Fund, equipped with a guaranteed, independent, and adequate budget within the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034. This fund should cover forest protection, water resource management, soil erosion prevention, infrastructure resilience, and direct support for citizens in affected areas.
On this basis, the EPP and New Democracy MEP is asking the European Commission whether it intends to establish this new European Natural Disaster Fund, as well as a new European aid framework for compensating affected citizens. He also asks whether special weighting will be applied for affected local and regional authorities when accessing direct funding from the European Commission.
