Commission approves advance payment under the EU Solidarity Fund for Slovenia’s post-flood reconstruction

29. 11. 2023

Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development

The European Commission has approved an advance payment of 100 million euros from the EU Solidarity Fund, the maximum mobilised to date, following the application for support that Slovenia submitted to Brussels after the devastating floods that took place in the country in August 2023. The advance payment will be made in the next couple of days, said the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira during a conference call with Slovenia's Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development Aleksander Jevšek.

Minister Jevšek in komisarka Ferreira, video konferenca — Minister Jevšek and Commissioner Ferreira | Author Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development

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''This is excellent news for Slovenia and for the places and the people that were most affected by the floods. Commissioner Ferreira praised our efforts and the hard work put into preparing this application, saying that the application was well-prepared and well-founded. I would like to take this opportunity and thank once again the team at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development and Andreja Katič who headed the inter-ministerial task force responsible for preparing the application. My thanks also goes to everyone who contributed to the preparation of this important application for Slovenia,'' highlighted Minister Jevšek at a press conference.

According to Jevšek, Slovenia expects to receive additional financial support from the EU Solidarity Fund in the amount of up to 300 million euros in April next year. ''The country must use the financial support within 18 months from the day of disbursement of the second portion of the funds. It must prove that financial support from the EU Solidarity Fund is used for eligible operations by providing the relevant reports and invoices. The country has a further 6 months to prepare the implementation report,'' he explained.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development Andreja Katič, who led the inter-ministerial task force preparing the application, stressed that the EU Solidarity Fund is intended to help the people and the country deal with the effects of a major natural disaster, also by supporting the repair of damaged public infrastructure.

The EU Solidarity Fund supports the following essential emergency and recovery operations: restoring the working order of infrastructure and plant in the fields of energy, water and wastewater, telecommunications, transport, health and education; providing temporary accommodation and funding rescue services to meet the needs of the population concerned; securing preventive infrastructure and measures of protection of cultural heritage; cleaning up disaster-stricken areas, including natural zones; measures aiming at rapidly providing assistance, including medical, to the population affected by a major public health emergency and to protect the population from the risk of being affected.

In the coming weeks, Slovenia will need to appoint a ministry responsible for the implementation of the measures that will be financed by the EU Solidarity Fund, said State Secretary Andreja Katič.