Politics

EU solidarity in action: Commission signs agreement with Türkiye for €400 million aid


The Turkish authorities intend to use the assistance from the Fund for:

  • restoration of infrastructure in the field of health, education and water and waste water;
  • providing temporary accommodation and container cities to meet the needs of the population;
  • measures to protect cultural heritage.

The two major earthquakes that took place in Türkiye on 6 and 20 February 2023 affected 14 million people and caused damage to 1 million buildings. After the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism by Türkiye, 20 EU Member States together with Albania, Montenegro, Norway, and Serbia have offered teams or assistance in coordination with the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre and the Turkish authorities.

The grant for Türkiye is part of an EU Solidarity Fund package adopted by the Commission on 23 August 2023.

The agreement between the European Commission and Türkiye was signed by the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, and the Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay. Speaking after the signature of the agreement, Commissioner Elisa Ferreira declared: “This tragedy, one of the worst in Turkish history, has shocked us all. It is no surprise then that this is the largest EU Solidarity Fund assistance awarded to a candidate country in the history of the Fund. Moreover, it is the first time Türkiye receives EUSF aid. The European Union is standing in solidarity with its neighbours as well.”

The European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council moved swiftly to mobilise help for those affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. In March 2023, an International Donors’ Conference was organised to help the people impacted by the disaster which generated a total of €7 billion in pledges. The EU pledged a total of €1 billion for Türkiye and the Commission has made good progress in the mobilisation of this pledge.

Next steps

Following the signature of the agreement, the Commission will disburse the €400 million of EUSF assistance to Türkiye in a single instalment. Counting from the day of payment, Türkiye has 18 months to implement the funds and must submit an implementation report 6 months after that period.

Background

The EUSF is one of the main EU instruments for post-disaster recovery and a tangible expression of EU solidarity. It supports Member States and candidate countries by offering a financial contribution after severe natural disasters. Since April 2020, in the framework of the EU efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the scope of the EUSF was extended to cover major public health emergencies.

The EUSF was created after the severe floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002, primarily to assist eligible countries in the emergency and recovery operations following natural disasters. Between 2002 and 2024, the EUSF has mobilised a total of over €8.2 billion for interventions in 129 disaster events (109 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies) in 24 Member States (plus the UK) and 3 accession countries (Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia).

The EUSF is mobilised upon applications of eligible countries and the assessment of their eligibility.

In the period 2021-2027, it is part of the newly established Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve.

In June 2023, as part of the MFF mid-term review package, the Commission proposed to increase by €2.5 billion the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve for the period 2024-2027, shared between EUSF and another instrument (the Emergency Aid Reserve), as the current envelope has proven insufficient to address all needs in the face of more frequent and intense disasters in the EU and globally.

 

 

 

 



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