Specific measures for Member States affected by natural disasters

Key points:

The EESC endorses the Commission's proposal  as regards specific measures to provide additional assistance to Member States affected by natural disasters.

The EESC supports:

• the introduction of a separate priority axis for reconstruction operations supported by the European Regional and Development Fund within an operational programme, without the need for national co-financing;

• extending the eligibility period of expenditure;

• the proposal to allow a Member State which has already included operations it has carried out in a payment application to the Commission, to make the necessary adjustments for the next payment application;

At the same time, the EESC believes that the fund needs to be revised once again in order to further clarify its scope and considers that the fund is an important demonstration of European solidarity and that Europeans should be made more familiar with it.