Actuality

On 13 March 2015, the European Union granted EUR 60.2 million from the Solidarity Fund to Serbia, as the hardest hit country in the region. The funds are intended to cover a part of extraordinary expenses for public works, primarily for the reconstruction of key infrastructure, elimination of immediate damage and urgent need following the floods, and also the expenses of rescue and affected area cleaning operations. The funds may be used retroactively, i.e. for already launched recovery and reconstruction projects.

The Government of Serbia, by the Decision 05 No.: 48-3413/2015, dated 26 March 2015, adopted the text of the Agreement on entrusting the implementation of the Committee Decision dated 13 March 2015 granting the financial contribution from the European Union Solidarity Fund to finance emergency and recovery operations arising from the disaster caused by severe flooding in the Republic of Serbia. Based on the Government Decision, the Office for Reconstruction and Flood Relief has been appointed to manage the funds in line with the established Government priorities.

The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) was set up to respond to major natural disasters and express European solidarity to disaster-stricken countries within Europe. The Fund was created as a reaction to the severe floods in Europe in the summer of 2002. Since then, it has been used for different catastrophic events including floods, forest fires, earthquakes, storms and drought.