European Parliament approves €144.1 million in disaster aid for Spain, Romania and Cyprus
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he European Parliament on Tuesday approved the release of €144.1 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support recovery efforts in Spain, Romania and Cyprus following major wildfires, floods and heatwaves that struck the three countries in 2025.
MEPs adopted the measure by 642 votes in favour, 13 against and one abstention.
Under the approved allocation, Spain will receive €120.55 million, Romania €14.34 million and Cyprus €9.21 million.
According to the European Parliament, Spain and Cyprus have already received advance payments of €30 million and €2.3 million respectively to support their initial recovery efforts.
The funding is intended to help finance emergency response measures, including restoring essential infrastructure and public services, clearing disaster-affected areas, providing temporary accommodation, supporting rescue services and covering other urgent recovery needs.
The Parliament said Spain experienced prolonged drought, intense heatwaves and several major wildfires during 2025, with the most destructive fires beginning in August, forcing mass evacuations and resulting in eight deaths.
Romania was affected by severe flooding in May and June after days of heavy rainfall, causing extensive damage in several regions. The Parliament said floodwaters at the Praid Salt Mine damaged critical infrastructure and led to widespread power outages.
In Cyprus, two major wildfires in July mainly affected the Limassol and Paphos regions, displacing thousands of residents, claiming two lives and destroying nearly 900 private properties. The fires also disrupted education and healthcare services.
The European Parliament said the European Union Solidarity Fund is the EU’s main instrument for post-disaster assistance. Since its creation in 2002, it has provided more than €10 billion in support for 147 disaster events, including 127 natural disasters and 20 public health emergencies across 25 EU member states and six accession countries.
