Allocation of funds from the EU Solidarity Fund to repair flood damage to the biological wastewater treatment plant of the Heraklion Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprise (DEYAH)

Due to the continuous rainfall, floods and extreme weather conditions in Heraklion in Crete in the first fortnight of January 2015, the fixed and movable equipment of the biological wastewater treatment plant of the Heraklion Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprise (DEYAH) suffered serious damage worth EUR 800 000 which the DEYAH is unable to afford in the present economic situation.

As a result of this damage to the biological treatment plant, not all waste water is being processed and there is therefore a pressing and urgent need to repair the biological treatment plant in order to avoid any adverse impact on public health.

In view of the above, will the Commission say:

What funds will it make available — and within what timeframe — from the EU Solidarity Fund (whose function is to address natural disasters) to ensure that the damage to the DEYAH biological treatment plant is fully repaired forthwith?

Source: European Parliament

Answer given by Ms Creţu on behalf of the Commission

The EU Solidarity Fund can be activated only upon request of the national authorities of the affected country. The application must be submitted within 12 weeks of the occurrence of the disaster. Moreover, in the event of a regional disaster as described by the Honourable Member, the total direct damage caused by the disaster must exceed 1.5% of the regional GDP (at NUTS level 2), which in the case of Crete in 2015 amounts to EUR 153 million(1). The Commission cannot say whether the weather events that affected the biological waste water treatment plant of Heraklion caused total damage of that magnitude. Thus far, the Greek authorities have not submitted an application for Solidarity Fund aid.

(1) The EUSF Regulation says that a ‘regional natural disaster’ means any natural disaster resulting, in a region at NUTS level 2 of an eligible State, in direct damage in excess of 1.5% of that region’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Source: European Parliament