Commissioner Lenarčič says Slovenia expected to apply for European Solidarity Fund aid
Ljubljana, 5 August - Slovenia is expected to apply for help from the European Solidarity Fund, which requires damage to exceed 0.6% of GDP, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič told the press after attending an emergency session of the government on Saturday.
Ljubljana
European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič (centre) attending an emergency government session on the catastrophic flash floods.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
Ljubljana
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič speaks to the press after government session.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
Ljubljana
European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič speaking to the press after attending an emergency government session on the catastrophic flash floods.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
Ljubljana
European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič (centre) attending an emergency government session on the catastrophic flash floods.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
Ljubljana
European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič and PM Robert Golob at the start of an emergency government session on the catastrophic flash floods.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
The commissioner, who is in his home country as it is battling the worst natural disaster in its history, said that while Slovenia had already requested assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, it had more options at its disposal.
"Slovenia is not alone in these difficult times. It can count on the support of the EU and member states in various ways," he said in the face of the severe damage caused by flash floods.
Through the Civil Protection Mechanism, Slovenia can request specific assistance, which member states then organise as quickly as possible. So far, Slovenia has already requested satellite mapping to assess the full extent of the damage more easily, Lenarčič explained.
According to his understanding, Slovenia will also apply for help from the European Solidarity Fund, while he moreover listed the option of assistance from the EU's agricultural reserve, as well as available resources in existing EU programmes, such as cohesion funds, funds from the European Regional Development Fund, and the European Recovery and Resilience Facility.
The government confirmed at its session today that it would apply for international assistance and tasked the Defence Ministry and the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief with formulating requests in line with needs for resources that cannot be provided in sufficient amounts in Slovenia. Assistance has already been offered by a number of countries.
Defence Minister Marjan Šarec said as he visited Mozirje in the Savinja Valley later in the day that the government decided the country will accept the offered aid from abroad in the form of machinery, foremost trucks and pontoon bridges.
The government moreover allocated EUR 10 million in humanitarian aid to be distributed among the residents in the flood-stricken areas by two major charities in the country, the Red Cross of Slovenia and Slovenian Caritas. Each will receive EUR 5 million.