Commission proposes €489 million to help Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta recover from severe storms

Today, the European Commission proposed to mobilise €489 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta recover from severe storms and flooding in January and February 2026. The funding will support essential emergency and recovery operations to rebuild transport infrastructure and reestablish essential services.

The Commission proposes to pay €261 million to Portugal, €149 million to Spain, €74.8 million to Italy and €3.72 million to Malta. 

The proposal follows applications submitted by the four Member States after storm Harry struck Malta and Italy in January 2026, and after a series of storms caused severe flooding in Portugal and Spain between January and February 2026.

Major damage in the four countries

The storms caused widespread destruction and serious disruption to daily lives.

In Italy, storm Harry hit Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia, damaging coastal and river areas and forcing evacuations. In Malta, the storm brought strong winds, heavy rainfall, rising sea levels and powerful waves, affecting communities across Malta and Gozo.  In Spain, the storms particularly affected Andalusia and Extremadura, leading to road closures, evacuations and prolonged disruption to electricity, water supply and telecommunications. In Portugal, severe storms triggered floods and landslides, causing 18 fatalities as well as major infrastructure damage and evacuations.

EU support for recovery

The proposed EUSF support will help finance emergency and recovery actions such as restoring energy, water, wastewater, telecommunications and transport infrastructure, as well as health and education services, where relevant. EU funding will also cover clean-up operations, temporary accommodation and rescue services, as well as measures to secure preventive infrastructure and protect cultural heritage.

Three of the four countries received advances from the Fund: €65.37 million for Portugal, €37.26 million for Spain and €931,014 for Malta.

These advances were requested by the three Member States and granted by the Commission, based on the criteria set by the EU Solidarity Fund legislation.

Next steps

The Commission's proposal has now to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council. After taking the advance payments into account, €385.6 million would remain to be paid to the four affected Member States. Once the proposal is approved by the co-legislators, the Commission will adopt the implementing decision for the payment of the remaining balance.

Background

The EU Solidarity Fund is a key instrument for supporting post-disaster recovery in Member States and candidate countries.  

Since it was established in 2002, the EU Solidarity Fund has provided over €11 billion for 150 disaster events, including 130 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies, across 25 Member States (plus the United Kingdom) and six accession countries.

The EUSF is part of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve, a special instrument of the EU budget that operates outside the normal expenditure ceilings of the EU budget. Its mobilisation must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

For more information

EU Solidarity Fund