Subject: Destruction in Crete caused by extreme weather conditions
The recent storms in Crete have left widespread destruction in their wake and resulted in the deaths of four fellow-citizens.
Infrastructure, and especially transport infrastructure (roads, bridges, highways), is extremely vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and storms.
Almost the entire length of the northern road axis of Western Crete has been affected by landslides and subsidence of the road surface, so that it now poses a threat to hundreds of drivers.
Because of climate change, such extreme phenomena are expected to occur more often in the coming decades.
Repairing damage to the road network, setting up flood defence schemes and planning to construct new infrastructure to withstand such phenomena are of vital importance to enable us to prevent more deaths and limit the destruction to public and private property in future.
Will the Commission say:
1) Which Community funds can be used to immediately repair the damage caused by the heavy rainfall?
2) Have the Greek authorities submitted to the Commission a list of flood defence schemes in Crete to help reduce the negative impact of such extreme weather events in future?
Joint answer given by Ms Creţu on behalf of the European Commission
(26 April 2019)
The Commission is fully aware of the events in Crete and in contact with the Greek authorities who are currently preparing an application for assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF). It may be mobilised if the Greek application is submitted within 12 weeks, demonstrating that total direct damage exceeds the threshold for a ‘regional disaster ’ (1). It may help (re-)finance public emergency and recovery operations, in particular the repair of infrastructure and assistance to the population. It may not cover private losses.
Greece is set to receive some EUR 1.3 billion for climate-change adaptation and risk prevention measures under the European Structural and Investment Funds. Part of this allocation (EUR 12 million) is directly available to Crete under its co-financed regional programme for the reinforcement of civil protection and prevention of natural disasters, including anti-flood measures. Under the 2014-2020 cohesion policy programme for Crete, four anti-flood protection projects and one disaster management project are co- financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Anti-flood management infrastructure and equipment for natural disasters are being prepared in Chania and Heraklion. The acquisition of natural disaster treatment equipment is ongoing.
Through their Rural Development Programmes, Member States may provide support to restore agricultural production potential damaged by natural disasters, adverse climatic events and catastrophic events (2) and to introduce risk management measures (3). The current version of the Greek Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 provides for support to prevent and restore damaged agricultural production potential but not for risk management measures.
⋅1∙ EUR 129.8 million, i.e. 1.5% of regional gross domestic product.
⋅2∙ Support can also be provided for investments in preventive actions aimed at reducing the consequences of probably natural disasters, adverse climatic events and
catastrophic events.
⋅3∙ Crop, animal, and plant insurance, mutual funds and income stabilisation tools.
| | ) The Commission is ready to explore with the competent national and regional authorities the possibility to revise the EU co-financed programme(s) relating to the area affected by the recent flood in order to accommodate the necessary actions for the restoration of the public infrastructures and the regeneration of the economic activity, in line with the regulations. The Commission is obliged to respect the provisions of the legal acts determining the intervention of the different financial instruments.
