Serbia can count on assistance from EU fund. - Serbia can also count on bilateral aid from EU member states.

BELGRADE -- Serbia can count on EUR 1 billion worth of aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund in dealing with the long-term consequences of the catastrophic floods....

Tanjug reported that this was announced on Monday by Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva.

Up to EUR 1 billion from the EU Solidarity Fund is available to Serbia as an EU membership candidate, the commissioner said at a press conference in Brussels.

Set up in the wake of the massive floods that hit central Europe in the past decade, the fund provides aid in case flood damage exceeds 0.64 percent of the afflicted country's GDP.

• Besides, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule is looking for a way for additional funds to be provided from IPA funds, she said.

Access to funds is more complicated for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has not been granted candidate status, Georgieva said.

"We reacted as soon as we received the requests from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina," she said, adding that high-capacity pumps, helicopters and boats were sent immediately, and that a total of 450 volunteers from EU member states have also been sent in the meantime.

That is more than Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina had asked for, but we stepped up the assistance due to the dramatic situation, she said.

• Georgieva said that Serbia can also count on bilateral aid from EU member states.

Although the EU commissioner mentioned a billion euros earlier today, in reality the sum will likely be much lower.

After her meeting with Croatian FM Vesna Pusić, Georgieva clarified for reporters that this was the total sum of the EU fund, that Serbia "certainly cannot count on all that money."

Pusić announced that Croatia will also apply for the money from the fund, saying that her country was not in need of urgent assistance like Serbia and Bosnia, but that damaged buildings will have to be repaired so that people can return to their homes.

• Georgieva explained that a country can apply if the damage was at least 0.64 percent of its GDP - which would come to EUR 175 million for Serbia, and EUR 250 million for Croatia.

"Once the Serbian authorities give us precise data about the damage we will see how much money we can be set aside," Georgieva said, and added that she would visit Serbia tomorrow.

Sources: Tanjug  - b92.net
19/5/14
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