The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) enables the EU to provide effective support to a Member State, a country involved in accession negotiations, or a region in its efforts to deal with the effects of a major natural disaster. The EUSF was created as a reaction to the severe floods in Central Europe in the summer of 2002. Since then, it has provided financial support to 29 countries to help them recover from severe natural disasters, such as floods, forest fires, earthquakes, storms, and drought.
Assistance from the EUSF takes the form of a grant to supplement public spending by the beneficiary state and is intended to finance essential emergency and recovery measures to alleviate damage which, in principle, is non-insurable. Urgent measures eligible for funding are:
In August 2023, Slovenia was hit by unprecedented floods. Subsequently, the country applied for financial assistance from the EUSF. On 20 October 2023, Slovenia submitted an application for a financial contribution from the EUSF to finance emergency and recovery operations following the floods in August 2023. Slovenia also requested the payment of an advance on the anticipated contribution from the EUSF. An advance of EUR 100,000,000 was awarded by Commission Implementing Decision C(2023) 8168 of 23 November 2023 CCI 2023SI16SPO001. The advance was paid to Slovenia on 11 December 2023.
On 20 November 2024, the Commission issued a Commission Implementing Decision awarding a financial contribution from the European Union Social Fund to finance emergency and recovery operations following the floods in August 2023 CCI 2023SI16SPO001. The total amount of financial aid granted to Slovenia stood at EUR 428,405,059. As the advance in the amount of EUR 100,000,000 had already been paid at the end of 2023, Slovenia received EUR 328,405,059 on 9 December 2024.
The financial contribution from the EUSF must be used within 18 months from the date when the Commission disburses the total aid amount In accordance with the Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity, Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund and Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 March 2020 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 in order to provide financial assistance to Member States and to countries negotiating their accession to the Union that are seriously affected by a major public health emergency.
This means that the 18-month implementation period started on 9 December 2024 and will end on 8 June 2026.
Slovenia must submit an implementation report to the Commission at the latest within 6 months after the end of the 18-month implementation period. The report must detail the operations carried out, including financial execution of the grant with a statement justifying expenditure and an opinion of the independent audit body.
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