EU Commission approves advance payment of €25.3 mln to Greece for Storm Daniel
The European Commission has approved an advance payment of 25.3 million euros to Greece “to ease the financial burden of reconstruction efforts” following Storm Daniel in September 2023.
The payment is being made under the Commission’s European Solidarity Fund (EUSF).
The Commission described the storm, which caused extensive flooding, mainly in Thessaly and Central Greece, as the Mediterranean’s “deadliest tropical-like cyclone to take place in the Mediterranean in recorded history.”
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said: “ Last year’s floods caused by cyclone ‘Daniel’ can only be described as a tragic event in Greece’s history; citizens lost their lives and homes, with their surrounding environment being heavily impacted and altered by the extensive damages caused by the cyclone.”
The advance payment follows the application for EUSF support submitted by Greece on 20 November 2023. Greece estimated a total direct damage of 2.3 billion euros. The advance payment of 25% of the anticipated contribution amounts to 25.3 million euros. The final payment, which will depend on the Commission’s assessment of Greece’s application for EUSF support and budgetary availability, will follow in 2024.
